


Love in the Time of Matrimony

by Epicocity



Series: The Ancienverse [19]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 19:39:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14143125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epicocity/pseuds/Epicocity
Summary: Ancienverse. Threeshot. It was going to be the biggest event of the year...no, the entire century. With multiple Leagues shutting down and enough people to overcrowd even a place like Pallet Town, no one doubted how huge the event would be. After all, Ash Ketchum and Serena were getting married, and not a single soul wanted to miss it.





	1. Part 1: The Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and hey there! You've stumbled (or have known) about this special fic of mine. In case you didn't know before clicking on it: this is a wedding fic! More specifically an Amourshipping wedding fic! I haven't seen many…or any…so I figured, hey, let's do it! Of course, this will be set in my Ancienverse, and I have to warn you, I am not someone very well versed in the world of weddings, but I've done some research, and I hope, at the very least, I can entertain you, at least enough to pull you away from USUM. That said, enough of this note, and onto the fic!
> 
> Author: Epicocity
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> Pairings: Amourshipping, mainly
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon.

**Love in the Time of Matrimony**

An Ancienverse Wedding Fic

Part 1

The Preparation

It was going to be the biggest event of the year.

One could have all of the regional Leagues taking place at the same time. They could even throw in Champion and Elite Four matches with it, and it still wouldn't reach the level of the event that was taking place. There was no possible way, especially with just two weeks left to go before what was going to happen in Pallet Town. Everyone knew it, too. The event hadn't exactly been advertised, but still, almost all of the regions knew just what was going to occur that summer day.

In the end, there wasn't a single soul that didn't know that former Kalos Queen Serena of Vaniville Town was about to marry Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town.

It had already been in the news for months, despite the couple's want to keep it all under wraps. From headlines of newspapers to Malva outright announcing the engagement on television, it was a topic of much discussion and complete excitement. The whole world had its eye fixated upon the intrepid couple and their impending nuptials. To them, hearing that childhood heroes, or simply saviors in a sense, were finally to be wed to each other after so much talk and speculation was like setting the world on fire.

Naturally, leading up to their engagement the previous year, rumors had been swirling around the couple from all of the media storms regarding their respective accomplishments, with their large number of friends declining to answer anything. Whether that was from respect or ignorance, the media never knew, but it at least meant they couldn't get their grubby claws all over the sordid details. It didn't stop them from speculating, though. From taking snapshots of any time Serena was caught discussing  _anything_  with another man (usually Clemont or Gladion) to outright claiming they had broken up when Ash had disappeared for about six months. Then again, they had no way of knowing that Ash called often enough to prove he was alive, let alone still dating Serena.

In either case, the news of their nuptials and Ash's proposal made the media pretty quickly. Thankfully, to the engaged couple, in this case "quickly" meant that it took about two months before Bonnie cracked and spilled the beans entirely. She never apologized once. Not even as the media trucks rolled up outside the couple's Aquacorde residence, one they had bought upon announcing their engagement to their respective parents.

"If you ever get married, Bonnie," Serena scolded the girl, the lemon blonde teenager's tongue sticking out in a teasing manner, "I am going to use my full power as a former Kalos Queen to make sure everyone knows and follows you all the time."

"Wouldn't that be an abuse of power?" Bonnie teased right back, but Clemont quickly grabbed her with his Aipom Arm and began dragging her away. "I expect to be a bridesmaid, Serena!"

That just hit Serena with the heavy reality of how much there was still to do in the ten months before she and Ash were to be married. It wasn't going to be easy, she realized, and though she had already  _started_  thinking about it, the list of what needed to be done suddenly grew and grew and grew. She even shared this with Ash one night at their residence, while he just stared ahead blankly. It was a little adorable how he seemed to completely zone out about this kind of stuff, though she did wish he could actually help a little more.

That night, he did.

"Just relax, Serena," Ash told her, throwing his hands behind his head. "I know there are a lot of things to do, but we've been through a lot worse."

"Ash, I know that, but this is our  _wedding_ ," she told him, eyes wide with near panic. Her hand raised itself up and began ticking off all the little things that were needed on her fingers. "We need to decide our wedding party, besides Lillie of course, venue, what size reception, guests, the cake, the-mmph!"

"Serena…" Ash now told her warningly, keeping her held against his chest. She just swallowed, nestling into his warmth, just before he decided to elaborate on what he was clearly about to say. "We'll figure all of that out. And if you're worried about  _where_ , that part's easy: Pallet Town, of course!"

"Pallet Town?" Serena questioned, her voice muffled against Ash's shirt. It took her a moment, and quite a few seconds of blinking, for the honey blonde to realize how simply perfect the idea to hold it there was. After all, it had been the very place they had met, on top of being Ash's hometown, with more than enough space to hold whatever army was about to be a part of the wedding. She was quite happy with that idea.

Soon after that was settled, things began falling into place. Of course, the couple still had a number of engagements to attend, each of them pertaining to their work in other areas, but they still found time on multiple occasions throughout the weeks in order to plan a little more of the wedding. In that time, the media hubbub only continued to grow exponentially. There were already talks of gatecrashers for the reception, and media gawkers for the ceremony itself. It added an extra layer of stress for everything to be determined as, one by one, all the different items on their checklist began to be crossed off, much to Serena's immense relief…and Ash's elation that each step brought the overbearing effort closer to being finished. Even Pikachu would often be found collapsed on their kitchen table.

Still, Serena found that she could still feel a sense of satisfaction when they ticked off item after item. As the months drew on, the day growing ever closer, that satisfaction both increased and waned, occasionally replaced with nervousness and utter glee at the thought she'd be married once this was all over. More than that, she'd be married to  _Ash_. If one had told her past self, before Ancien City, she'd have laughed nervously, blushed and proceeded to steam until fainting from disbelief. Now, however, what was once a dream was about to become sheer reality. That reality got even better in the last six weeks before the wedding, just as they were preparing their invitations to the massive number of guests that would be attending.

"And now, a special live message from the Aether Foundation, regarding the upcoming Ketchum nuptials," a reporter was speaking, her face barely containing the glee of what she was saying. Serena sighed loudly and slammed her head to the table, causing Ash's hand to slip and messily write Paul's name on his invitation.

"I hate gossip…" Serena whined loudly. Ash frowned at the messed-up invitation while Pikachu laughed loudly, rolling around on his back.

"Don't you laugh, Pikachu! You still have yours to finish!" Ash proclaimed. That made Pikachu pale, and he ran for a stack of invitations, himself, putting his paws to work furiously. Ash chose to shrug; Serena may have minded a little, but she also seriously doubted that Paul would care about the invitation itself, much less how well it was written. Moments later, the announcement from the Foundation splayed itself across the screen.

But it wasn't Gladion there, despite the fact that he'd been invited already. It was a far more crazy, grinning face, barely restrained by his former admin.

"Yo! This is your boy, Guzma, speaking for the Foundation!" Guzma's voiced boomed from the speakers, the man pointing to himself. He was surrounded by a bunch of his family members, all of them moving into different poses as he spoke. "I hear y'all be messin' with my boy, Ash. Well, I'm gonna say this once: there won't be no gatecrashin'! Official security detail as bouncers is gonna be handled by Guzma and Family here!"

"Come up with a new name," snarked Plumeria under her breath, but she smirked, as if sending the message to the couple that they would have it all covered. Serena lifted her head up from the table now and looked to Ash with complete and utter elation in that particular moment. He laughed alongside Pikachu, almost falling off his chair before Serena righted him. For all of Guzma's antagonism years ago, he was certainly a rather standup guy these days…for the most part.

"Oy, no talkin' back to the boss, Plumeria! Oh, and you owe me now, Ketchum! I'll accept an opportunity to kick your ass!" Guzma declared, pointing at the screen before the studio suddenly seemed to get wise of what he was saying and cut the transmission off.

"Well, one less thing to worry about, and one less invitation to send!" Ash said happily, taking one of the cards and proceeding to rip it in half. Serena would have scolded him, but she had to admit that she was grateful for Guzma's assistance in the matter. It only left the complicated amalgamation of  _other_  tasks left to complete before everything could be ready.

To that point, the remaining time left until nearly two weeks before the wedding practically flew by, right up until the impending bride and groom arrived with bags packed inside Ash's family home.

"Oh, my little boy is getting married!" Delia called excitedly, practically smothering Ash when he'd arrived there. "I can't believe it! I mean, I  _can_  believe it, but still!"

"Thanksh mom, nish to shee you, too…" Ash groaned out, his cheeks squished against her. Delia let go at that moment, patting her son down before walking straight over to Serena and taking her in a hug as well. The honey blonde dropped her suitcase and hugged back. Ash grinned over at her. "Just think: a couple weeks and you'll be part of the family."

"Oh, hush, Ash," Delia scolded her son. He took a step back, Pikachu leaping from his shoulder to greet his mother. "Serena's been a part of the family for a while. This just makes it official. I'm sure you must both be nervous."

"A little…" Serena admitted, emulating Ash in scratching at the side of her face. Ash didn't show any such nervousness or embarrassment, but he usually showed so little, she figured he wouldn't display it even if he did feel the same. "But at the same time, I'm very happy."

"Me, too," Ash admitted. Delia seemed to take pride in hearing her son say those words, and she quickly grabbed for the both of them, roping them into a large hug. To Serena, it really felt like Mrs. Ketchum was welcoming her to the family even more with those wide arms. Ash grinned his usual smile across at her.

"Well, I know the whole town's growing very excited!" the mother stated after letting them go. She seemed to lead them over to the kitchen at that point, jabbering on excitedly about the whole state of affairs. "I've agreed to help do the catering with some guests of yours. That Mallow is a fierce cook, and Brock and Cilan have agreed to help out, as well. We'll be pulling double duty until it's time for the reception. Meanwhile, it seems Samuel and Gary are busy working with some decorators. Your Pokémon are so excited, Ash, I think they're planning to help set up the pavilion and altar and everything."

"Since when did Gary know how to decorate anything…?" Ash asked. Delia just waved it off with a laugh, and while Ash continued to look confused at that, Serena chose to shrug it off. For now, they still had a number of tasks to complete.

Therefore, that night, the engaged couple sat down to make sure they went over their checklist of everything needed for the day that was approaching too fast for Serena's liking. She believed there was still so much that could be done that no amount of planning would ever cover it all.

"Okay, so, we have your mom working on catering with Brock, Cilan and Mallow, all three confirmed on the guest list…well…hard not to when Brock is your Best Man, and Cilan is a groomsman," Serena noted to her fiancé, despite the fact he seemed to be nodding off faster than usual. He was absentmindedly scratching a tired Pikachu behind the ears, but she still continued on. "Miette and Shauna will be arriving with the cake early next week in time for everything to really kick off, so that's good."

"We're having Kalas do the whole reception thing, right?" Ash asked with a yawn, now scratching at his exposed stomach. Serena nodded at that, checking off that little mark on her sheet. "Wait…who's doing the whole ceremony?"

"Professor Oak," Serena noted, feeling her own eyelids starting to droop. Her hands raised up to slap her face, making sure she wouldn't fall asleep quite yet. The sound shocked Ash awake, though Pikachu was already dozing in his lap. "He's the most qualified, after all, and he said he's done this before, apparently."

"Another thing I didn't know…" Ash grumbled out. Serena giggled at her fiancé's trepidation over this new fact, and continued on with the list. Most of the stuff on it was already taken care of, such as the invitations to the ridiculous number of people being invited to the wedding. Most of them had already RSVP'd to the entire event, save for a few that Serena decided she was going to assume were coming anyway. Already, their guest list for the ceremony looked to be ascending to near two hundred (alongside shutting down entire Leagues for the day). Although, it came with a more manageable one hundred for the reception. Professor Oak was gracious enough to open his lab's backyard for that event, too.

"Okay, so…Dawn says the dress alterations will be here soon, too, along with your suit," Serena continued, checking off yet more on the list. "And the wedding party will be here the full week before. That includes Brock, Clemont, Cilan…and you chose Gary for your fourth…with Pikachu, of course. While my group is Shauna as my Maid of Honor, with Dawn, Lillie and Bonnie as bridesmaids."

"Only because Bonnie would kill you if she wasn't a bridesmaid," Ash stated. Serena wasn't going to argue with that particular point whatsoever. Bonnie had already thinly veiled her threats in reference to any future actions were she not be named as a bridesmaid, which was the exact reason they had expanded their wedding party to four instead of three. "And then Oshawott practically begged to be the ring bearer…this wedding stuff is so complicated."

"I think it's adorable," Serena stated out, stifling yet another yawn to hide her exhaustion.

"Sure, but there's so much I don't get. Like, why can't I see your dress? Why are Trevor and my old friend Todd gonna be following us and the guests everywhere with cameras?" Ash asked, throwing his hands in the air before slumping on the couch. "The only thing that  _does_  make sense is the whole vow thing."

"I don't want to hear it!" Serena said loudly, slapping him with her checklist before covering her ears. "You can't see my dress because I want it to be special, and you can't say your vows because I want  _that_  to be special, too!"

"Oh…well, yeah, so do I…but it's  _soooo_  complicated…" Ash groaned once more. Serena looked to her list one more time. Everything else seemed to be checked off and good for the most part, other than the light rehearsal dinner they would be doing later; even down to her father coming to walk her down the aisle was taken care of. It seemed it would all go well enough, and with her current state of exhaustion, Serena truly didn't want to think about it anymore. She tossed the pad on the table and turned to her fiancé, placing a hand on him and snuggling against him. Her engagement ring glittered in the faint light.

"Well, once we're married, it'll be less complicated. So, keep your chin up until then…for me?" she asked, peering up at him. He turned his head, smiling, before he leaned down and pecked her on the lips before grinning. She melted at his moment of uncharacteristic romance.

"Well, since it's you," he eventually replied. And with Ash's agreement, the two soon fell into an easy sleep upon the couch.

* * *

With all of the checks done, and everything seeming to be running smoothly for the soon to be married couple, Ash had expected things to calm down at least a little bit before the guests began to arrive. However, that was definitely not the case, as he soon found out. If anything, it all got even  _busier_  than expected. That all started with the arrival of Brock in a car from Pewter City, the doctor currently on leave…and carrying his entire family in the back, including his mother and father.

"Pikachu, did we invite  _all_  of them?" Ash asked of his partner the day that his best man arrived. Pikachu shrugged, having clearly not paid any attention to the vast number of invitations they had signed. All Ash remembered from that was the faint, dull ache which rested in his hand from that activity. Not that it mattered much, as Brock jumped out of the car upon stopping it and slung an arm around Ash.

"Ash! Good to see you!" he said with a grin. Ash agreed, throwing an arm right back. "Just a few days now, huh? Must be excited."

"For sure," Ash agreed, pumping his free hand into a fist. From the car, Brock's family seemed to all send their well-wishes before making their way to what looked like a veritable campsite that was slowly being established on the outskirts of town. Not that any of the guests had arrived, but all of Ash's Pokémon had been doing double duty, with Charizard delivering the tents while Greninja, Infernape, Sceptile, Krookodile and Decidueye took the time to set them up, aided by others like Hawlucha. Some were successful. Others, like Noivern…not so much. "How about you, Brock?"

"Thrilled! I get to see Ar-not now, Croagunk!" Brock immediately called to the Toxic Mouth Pokémon that had emerged behind him, orange sacs expanding and contracting threateningly. "I have my duties as a Best Man to fulfill, starting with a Bachelor Party tonight! Clemont and Cilan should be here by then, right?"

"Er…Bachelor Party?" Ash asked. While he'd definitely been keeping up on all of the wedding stuff that Serena had planned, this seemed to be one of those things which had completely escaped his notice. Brock didn't falter once, however, continuing to grin while his shut eyes brimmed with absolute joy.

"Don't worry, nothing crazy! Just reliving the good times, maybe some Pokémon battles!" Brock insisted. Ash's eyes lit up excitedly alongside Pikachu's; he didn't quite know what a Bachelor's Party was, but if it involved battles, then he was definitely down for it. "Tried calling Paul, but even with the enticing idea of battling you, he said that he and Reggie would only come for the ceremony and reception. That's just like him."

"Yeah, it is," Ash laughed out, and the two seeming brothers began to walk off to talk about the upcoming catering for the ceremony. Naturally, Serena was also being greeted by her own bridesmaids, it seemed, one of whom had arrived with the cake, while another came with the dress. It was that sole bluenette that had planted her Mamoswine right outside the door, preventing all access to the interior when Ash had returned to the house. Serena just smiled apologetically at that, but Dawn was far less forgiving. "Come on, Dawn, it's my home…"

"Not for the next week, it's not!" Dawn demanded, putting her foot down on the issue. "I've worked hard on Serena's dress, gotten from her mother and altered by me, that I'm not about to let you see it and ruin the whole thing. You're the first of us to get married, so try not ruining it."

"And what exactly happened to 'no need to worry'?" Ash demanded, trying to find a way to skirt around Mamoswine, but being stopped by its large tusks. He felt vaguely annoyed by that.

"A wedding is definitely a time to worry. So, no peeking for the whole week. I think you can wait that long," Dawn stated with a final huff, hands planted on her hips resolutely. "Serena tells me that the poetry professor has opened his lab up for you to rest in."

"Sure…but it's not the same," Ash mumbled. He also realized, however, that he didn't really have a choice when it came down to this. Knowing that, he waited as Serena ran back inside to grab his things, gave him a kiss and then sent him and Brock back on their merry way to Professor Oak's lab. About halfway there, Ash had come to a rather annoying realization. "I didn't even get to see the cake…"

"Hey, at least you didn't have to pick it out," Brock said, though it didn't do much to placate Ash, who felt just a little bit annoyed.

Regardless, the raven-haired trainer decided to make the most of his situation, and faced forward with the positive attitude that he usually liked to pour into everything. Brock made the whole thing extremely easy through the rest of the day, checking up on the food for the reception (something Ash found was better than his mother and Brock's usual recipes, as though they quadrupled their efforts) and overall making everything feel like a party until later that evening, when Clemont and Bonnie finally arrived from the Viridian airport.

"It was absolutely crazy there…" Clemont sighed out liberally when he'd arrived at the lab, fanning himself. Gary, as it turned out, was also there, having just completed his assistance with the setup of everything decoration-wise for the wedding. As the lemon blond spoke, Ash noticed said researcher apparently checking the weather, all to make sure he wouldn't need to get a Pokémon with Sunny Day or find a Rayquaza to cancel weather effects entirely. "I swear, if you guys hadn't sent the car for us, we would have never gotten here."

"Glad we did, then," Ash stated, hugging Clemont and showing how glad he was that the inventor could make it. Cilan had yet to arrive, likely caught up in one of his many connoisseur angles, but Brock wasn't all that concerned. For the first time, though, Clemont's words truly made the reality of what was happening here settle into Ash: he was getting  _married_. To Serena. To the woman he loved as much as he did Pikachu (though definitely not in the same way). It was such a frighteningly free thought to him, and he found a nervous smile actually stretching across his face. "Guess the whole world is watching, huh?"

"Something like that, Ashy-boy," Gary commented, wheeling away from the weather to show a news report on the computer screen. Professor Oak was nowhere to be seen, presumably leaving the lab to the use of the four men that were gathered there. Brock walked closer to Gary, and the fridge that seemed to be nearby. "You're definitely all over the news. It's all anyone can talk about. From half the Aether Foundation setting off from Alola this evening to the Champions leaving tomorrow, you've got a whole parade coming for this thing. I think at least four regional Leagues are shutting down for days just to hold this. Any of  _our_  weddings would never turn out this way."

"Yeah, well…it's not like we wanted it to…" Ash bemoaned. He flopped back on the couch he'd be sleeping on the remainder of the week, sighing outwards. "We actually wanted it to be kind of small, but it turned into this. Serena looks happy, though, so I'm okay with it."

"Pi!" Pikachu agreed, as if proud of Ash's response before dashing for the backyard to join with all of the other Pokémon. Gary smirked at him, leaning back lazily while Clemont addressed that particular issue at hand.

"Well, it's really no surprise. I mean, you and Serena are two of the most well-known figures in the public eye. Having a big wedding between you two was inevitable. I'm just glad you asked me to be a part of it," the inventor stated, adjusting his glasses with a small grin. Gary now slammed onto his feet, rising up from the chair.

"Me, too, Ashy boy," Gary said with enthusiasm. "Never thought I'd say it, but I'm glad to be standing with you when you get married. Long as you don't screw it up, of course."

"Hey!" Ash countered back, and then he heard Brock clapping loudly. That drew all of their attentions, and soon Ash found a can of soda come spinning towards him, the raven-haired trainer catching it deftly. Once he had, Ash looked to Brock, the man spinning a small disc on his finger and facing to the backyard.

"If the three of you are done, let's get this manly party started! Ash may somehow be getting the girl before me, but that's all the more reason to celebrate! Come on!" Ash looked to his other two groomsmen in the room, and they all shrugged. With a slight grunt, Ash swung himself off of the couch and made to follow Brock to the backyard. Naturally, it only took seconds for his overexuberant Tauros to come charging in and bowl him over, but once he had recovered, Brock was speaking again. "I asked your friend Maka for some help while she's putting together your wedding video for the reception, compiling some great moments just for us guys! Let's get our party started, boys!"

"Croagunk!" the Toxic Mouth Pokémon called, surprisingly as invested in the events as his trainer, even snapping a party hat on before staring at his reflection in the projector that was displaying images on the wall. His own call appeared to summon all of Ash's other Pokémon, each of them moving to join their group, with Charizard seating himself right in front of the screen as the smaller Pokémon climbed on top of him and Torterra.

With a great flourish, and an opening of the cans beside Ash, he seated himself in for an exciting ride. Despite being such a stern doctor when it came to patients, Brock soon proved himself to be a born entertainer, showing some of the best (and even some pretty bad) parts of Ash's former journeys. From regional Leagues to the Kalos Team Tournament, it was a wild ride contained all in pictures and videos, with each of his Pokémon seeming rather proud at having taken part in each of them. Especially Charizard, who tipped his head back and sent a flame roaring to the sky at the image of himself taking down Gary's Blastoise.

"We had a pretty great battle, huh?" Gary remarked, tipping back his can of soda and downing it quickly. Ash continued watching the finishing projections proudly before the last shot ended on an image of he and Serena in their match against Kukui and Akela back in Alola, clasping hands together. Brock's sly smirk said it all.

"Yeah, we did!" Ash proclaimed, finally recovering enough to answer Gary's question. Twisting his body, Ash grinned down his former rival in challenge. On his other side, Clemont's eyes also alit with challenge. All of Ash's Pokémon could feel it, the level of tension and the air of battle. Greninja and Infernape seemed to become almost antsy, while Hawlucha and Buizel stared each other down, clearly wanting to battle, as well. "How about we go for one right now?"

"You're on!" Gary said with a smirk. Their hands clasped one another, pulling themselves up and readying for battle.

It was those battles that lasted until well after the sun had set. While Ash knew (from some of Brock's remarks) that most people would get drunk and party on nights like these, battles replaced any form of alcohol for the young men. They quickly became intoxicated on adrenaline for the whole evening, with each of Ash's Pokémon getting their chance, from Palpitoad all the way to Totodile. Things got even crazier when Cilan arrived and he, Clemont and Brock appeared to enter into a three-way battle for "best male companion" …whatever that meant. It had been close, from what Ash saw, but Brock and Croagunk eventually took the prize. Not that Ash understood what it was, of course

It was such a fun night that Ash didn't want it to end, but eventually he and the other four males fell asleep under the stars that night, surrounded by all of Ash's Pokémon. The raven-haired trainer, for his part, continued staring up for a moment longer, Pikachu curled on his chest and Charizard's wings around him, thinking about how grateful he was to have such supportive friends. Then he slipped off to sleep just a couple hours before dawn.

That was the last bit of peace and "fun" he figured he would get before the wedding, especially when the next morning ramped up with numerous arrivals, not to mention Serena coming to get him for other reasons.

"Mom's bringing the gifts today, so we'll want to make sure everything's in order," she explained while they waited for her parents to arrive. In the time they were waiting, more and more people landed in Pallet Town, getting tickets (of all things) to reside in the campgrounds that were now set up. Ash nodded to her, finding that she looked rather flushed, and wondered if it had anything to do with the night before. "Lillie will be getting here tomorrow, so with the entire wedding party, we'll do the rehearsal for the wedding."

"There's food involved with that, right? Because I have a feeling I'm going to need it," Ash said. Serena laughed, patting him on the back as though she completely understood. "But uh…what happened last night to make you all red?"

"Nothing!" Serena squeaked. Ash didn't push the issue, but considering he saw that Miette and Sawyer appeared to have shown up since last night, he had a sharp guess as to what it was. Placing his hands behind his head, Ash just decided to sit back and wait, watching as everyone flocked to Pallet Town in what seemed like a small trickle but, owing to the large number of guests, really wasn't.

First was the Aether Foundation arriving in full force, Guzma and his family knuckling Ash on the head (it hurt) before setting up a perimeter around Pallet Town on the ground and in the air. Only Plumeria seemed to have the intelligence alongside Gladion to not act like buffoons. Although, Gladion seemed less than enthused, even if it had nothing to do with the wedding. Ash had a very strong guess as to the reason when the blond muttered something about "that idiot". That confirmed to Ash that his former rival wasn't happy about his sister arriving with Hau, even though the two had clearly been  _finally_  dating for almost a year now.

Shortly after that was another influx of people, starting from Team Nova, Seamus leading the pack before he was followed by the two parents that were Bethany and Christopher, introducing their little daughter, Thea. Rocky looked a little more disgruntled, but appeared to light up at the sight of Astrid also arriving in town, accompanied by Korrina, Alain, Mairin and the whole contingent of people from Kalos. It was enough to make Ash's head swirl, even as Mairin practically squealed with joy over the thought of Serena getting married. It even made  _Korrina_  contemplative, clearly wondering if or when Clemont would propose to her. Despite the man being one of Ash's best friends, he had no answer to that. Not even Bonnie did, for all her pestering.

It was a flurry of meet and greets from that moment forward, while Ash and Serena continued to wait for Grace and Y to arrive with the gifts. Scores of Ash's former rivals from Unova, most of which he hadn't seen since his journey there, came in large droves, with even Trip taking some pictures of the area, remarking on its natural beauty with a rather sheepish expression. That surprised Ash, but he had to already turn away in order to greet May, arriving with Max and her parents.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised that you're getting married," Max commented on the situation. Ash wasn't sure what to say to that, but May slapped her brother up the head, and neither of her parents said a word as they shook Serena's hands.

"Be nice, Max," May said before huffing out. After she'd done so, taking an additional moment to affix a smile to her face, May moved in and embraced Serena in a tight hug. "I can't believe it's finally the day! It's so romantic!"

"I certainly hope so!" Serena said. "We've done so much just to get ready! But, er…Drew isn't with you?"

"I think he said he'll be coming later," was May's response. Ash shook his head, greeting both Norman and Caroline, who moved off to reserve their camping site. Max, on the other hand, remained nearby, the now older teen adjusting his glasses with a rather embarrassed expression.

"Is  _she_  here?" he asked. Ash blinked, but quickly realized just who the younger trainer was talking about, chuckling before he answered.

"Yeah, Bonnie's been here since yesterday."

"Good. I need to settle the score. May, let's go!" Max snapped, grabbing ahold off his older sister's hand and dragging her off. May rolled her eyes and began to wave, even while being dragged off.

"Looking forward to the wedding! Don't screw it up Ash!" May called back to the couple, just before righting herself properly. "And you slow down, Max. I know you want to see your girlfriend, but really…"

"She's my rival!" Max snapped in protest and correction. "And I still owe her for that defeat she gave me in the Kalos Team Tournament last year!" Their voices soon faded from earshot, though it didn't make the chaos calm down in the slightest. If anything, it picked right back up.

Misty arrived shortly after all of that, noting that her sisters were out of the region, as per usual. Ash actually found himself grateful at that fact; the Sensational Sisters would not make the already impressive media presence any better. That seemed to be proven exceptionally so with the next group of arrivals that featured some members of the Alolan Elite Four, containing Kahili, whose first action was slinging an arm around Ash and ruffling his hair.

"Aw, look at you, getting married!" she practically crooned. Ash grimaced at her, but allowed her to go through her motions. Sometimes, Kahili just had too much fun with him. "I'm not sure whether to feel proud you're tying the knot, or mortified because Serena has to live with your battle-hungry stomach forever."

"I can handle it. Besides, he has to deal with my love for performing, which seems to bore him when it isn't me or one of our friends," Serena said to Kahili. The golfer retracted herself from Ash and moved to hug Serena before drawing back and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She was interrupted mere moments later.

"Reena!" cried the chipper voice of Acerola, running through to pretty much bowl Serena over. Ash put on a bemused expression and took a few steps away with Kahili.

"I am proud of you, Ash," Kahili stated a little more quietly. "It takes a lot to commit to marriage. Goodness knows I haven't been able to."

"Last I checked, you never dated anyone," Ash reminded her. She elbowed him, but clearly appreciated the jest, thanks to the smile that was on her face. "Hapu, Mina and the others coming along?"

"They'll be arriving with Hau and Hala's group tomorrow. Mina wandered off for a painting again." Ash nodded his head; that definitely sounded just like Mina. In any case, Kahili's words made him feel that almost nervous anticipation once again. Knowing that everyone was gathering in Pallet for this event made Ash swallow the ever-growing ball in his throat, even if he'd never willingly admit it. "Now, your mom's here, yeah? I think I should introduce myself! Catch ya later!"

Ash would have tried to stop her from doing so, knowing just how crazy Kahili could be (and knowing how willing his mother would be to accept Kahili as a tertiary member of their family), but was prevented in doing so by Grace and Y  _finally_  arriving. Serena was the first to greet them, extricating herself from the ever-hyperactive Acerola to do so, indicating their presence to Ash. He stepped closer to his fiancée, and the usual busyness of the whole affair ramped up yet again.

With Serena's parents were all of the wedding gifts that Serena had mostly worked on deciding, only getting the occasional input from Ash. It was quite extensive, even if a good three quarters of them were more or less trinkets. Only a few were actually big gifts, for the bigger guests like the Champions and their closest friends. It was these gifts that Ash helped Y carry in when they reached the Ketchum household.

"Must be very exciting," Serena's father said. Ash flicked his eyes over to the man. A lot of people had been saying that, and Ash couldn't deny that it was, even if every single one of those comments was making him feel even more nervous about it all. Gratefully, it was no longer the case for Y to set him on edge, even after he'd shaven and looked more like Michael than usual. He still kept some of his facial hair, at the very least.

"It is, but a lot of work," Ash admitted. Y nodded, as though he knew the exact same sentiments while the two males entered into the house. Ash looked around, noticing that Dawn had taken special care to hide Serena's wedding dress, and the cake was likewise sequestered in the kitchen. The only thing left around was his mother, dusting the place down and not having noticed them quite yet…well, at least until Kahili came out of the bathroom.

"I understand that. Grace and I didn't have nearly as large a wedding, but it was still incredibly stressful," Y said. Ash was glad to hear that, knowing it wasn't any different for anyone else. Looking over to his mother, he wondered if she had gone through the same thing. Despite having told her about his father's death years ago (she'd had a few tears, but said nothing, as though she'd long accepted it), he never really asked about their wedding. Though, now that he thought about it, she  _had_  shared some details about him as the years ticked on by. "Not getting cold feet, though, are we?"

"Not at all!" Y liked that answer. It was also an answer that attracted his mother's attention to the whole situation.

"Ah! Welcome!" Delia exclaimed, tossing her duster to the side and moving to greet Y. Ash knew she had met him once before, at their engagement party months ago, but when Grace stepped in the room, it was obvious the two mothers were far more familiar with one another. Kahili smirked to Ash on her way out. "Do stop by any time, Kahili! I'm glad my son has an older sister like you in his life!"

"S-sister? !"

"That's right, little brother," Kahili stated with a smirk, tapping him playfully on the nose. Ash felt like his head was swirling from that, and without Pikachu to reassure him (his partner helping out with his other Pokémon at the campsite) he felt almost liable to pass out. "It's not for real, Ash. Get your head on straight."

"I'm trying to, but all my mind can think right now is 'wedding'."

"Then it just means you're ready," his mother called to him after greeting Serena's parents. Ash wasn't so sure, but he drew encouragement from Serena's smile in his direction, and Y's rather stealthy nod. Grace was less stealthy, but watched him with an approving gaze. "Your father would be very proud of you, I think. You're handling a much bigger wedding than him with extreme talent."

"That's because I have Serena, and she's awesome at this stuff," Ash said, pointing to his fiancée to indicate just who'd truly done most of the work. Her parents glanced to each other, as if they found it humorous that Ash was admitting such things, but he felt it was perfectly natural. As Serena returned to his side, offering him a hug, each of the parents there all seemed to have any last traces of doubt completely vanish from their minds regarding the union.

Finally, the rest of the process started to go smoothly.

Not that "smoothly" meant "easy". Not in the slightest. Between the Champions arriving that evening, bringing the media helicopters with them, and Lillie arriving with Hau and the rest of the big names in Alola, it was simply crazy. Lillie was a little apologetic at arriving so late, but Ash was just grateful that Guzma's little power force prevented too much craziness from happening. Even with Gladion dragging his sister's boyfriend off (likely to threaten him), none of the general jubilation faded away.

"Don't worry about it, Lillie," Serena told the blonde at her brother doing so, she and Ash both taking her into a big hug. That was all that needed to be said. At long last, everything was set for the wedding to begin, and Ash moved on practical rote to see it all done.

That last thing that truly needed to be done was the wedding rehearsal, something which had Ash breathing just a little more than usual. It wasn't quite like a Pokémon battle, no matter how much he wanted to pretend it was. The anticipation was far more than he could bear, and it hardly played to his strengths. However, being able to feel Serena's hands as they were going through the motions of the ceremony, he knew she was the same. That was, in some way, comforting. It helped him to realize he wasn't alone in feeling this way, and knowing that their parents and friends were all overjoyed at the final thing being taken care of made him feel…ready.

He was ready to marry Serena.

He was ready to truly be with her forever. No matter what.

It was something that gave him peace inside, even though there was still that small twinge of natural nerves inside his stomach. Even through the barbeque that Professor Oak and Tracey held for the wedding party, and some other friends, that evening, along with some of the speeches, Ash never wavered in that. Dawn said it the best at her own speech that closed off the evening.

"I've known Ash for a long time now, about a decade," Dawn said. Piplup was standing next to her, nodding with every single word. "So, when I say that I consider him to be my best friend and like a big twin brother to me, I mean it. I want the best for him the same way I know he'd want the best for me. And…well…Serena really is the best for him. I've known her about…what, eight years now? You really couldn't meet someone kinder, sweeter or more devoted than her, and she's definitely someone who can help to curb Ash's streak of recklessness. I've thought they made a great couple since they first got together eight years ago and I'm…I'm really happy to be a part of it for one…no, two of my best friends.

"So, all I can say is that, when it comes to the two of them together…no need to worry! They'll be together forever!"

If there was any doubt in anyone's mind before that moment, Dawn had all but obliterated it with her own little tears of joy. No one was questioning the marriage whatsoever, and the excitement for what was to happen all but reached its peak. Small parties broke out in the midst of the campsite those last couple days, and some sent fireworks into the air, even as others sat quietly by or challenged some to friendly battles. That was about the only sight that all of the news choppers were able to get, all the way up to that wedding day.

The anticipation for what was about to happen was so thick that one couldn't even cut it with Pikachu's Iron Tail. However, Ash just felt blossoming joy in his breast as Pikachu stood with him the night before the ceremony, looking out over Professor Oak's backyard to the pavilion where it would all happen.

"Tomorrow, buddy," Ash said to his eternal partner. His mind quickly realized that as of tomorrow he'd officially have a  _second_  eternal partner. "I'm marrying Serena tomorrow."

"Pipika, Pikapi, kachu pika pika." Ash grinned at his partner's enthusiasm and approval. Ash closed his eyes and breathed in. He spoke no other words, feeling that nothing else needed to be said, his eyes drawn to his house, where Serena was likely unable to sleep with the same pre-wedding jitters. He reached his hand out in that direction, feeling like he was clasping hers.

He was definitely ready to be married.

Then, he took Pikachu in his arms with a grin, and returned inside.

The next day, one of the biggest events in history was set to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, not quite the wedding, but we're just about to begin with it. I'll admit, there was a lot to put into this chapter. I probably missed some stuff, or just decided to not mention every character arriving, but that's because I tried to focus on the most important aspects of it all, so hopefully that ultimately worked out for you. Same with my choices in the wedding parties and all that extraneous stuff. Part fun, part torture to get it right. Either way, the wedding ceremony is next chapter, which will probably be shorter (ha ha…ha…), but hopefully very nice. Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	2. Part 2: The Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems last time was relatively well received. This time, however, is the wedding itself. I hope it turned out well. I'm admittedly a little apprehensive about it, but I hope you enjoy! Part 2 time!

Part 2

The Ceremony

The day of the wedding ceremony dawned bright, with plenty of sunshine and a breeze that rippled across the plains and forests of Pallet Town. The air buzzed with excitement, almost creating a sort of ordered chaos in the campsites that was held back by the Champions, themselves. Meanwhile, near the borders of a forest in the town, one that was all too familiar to Serena, was the wedding pavilion, with rows upon rows of chairs set up in front of it and stretching far back. The only thing breaking that seating up was the long carpet of royal blue that split it in two, leading all the way back, signifying where the wedding processional would begin and end.

Even in those early morning hours, some of the guests were looking to get seats that hadn't already be reserved for the families and close friends. It made Serena feel almost shocked, like this was actually happening. Right now. She was about to officially be married.

"Just relax, Serena," Shauna assured her, patting her on the back as she stared at herself in the mirror, eyes wide. Not that she was going to back down for a second; they'd been through too much, and done too much, to back out of something they had both been waiting for. It didn't stop reality from settling in, though. "You're ready for this. It's no different than a performance, right? You go up there and look as beautiful as ever, do what you need to do and walk away hand in hand…only with your husband instead of your Pokémon."

"Brai," Braixen agreed, nodding her head wholeheartedly. Serena swallowed, taking comfort from both Shauna and her Pokémon's words. Like with Ash's teammates, all of them waiting in the crowd, and Pikachu on his shoulder come the time for the ceremony, Serena had asked for all her Pokémon to be with her. Some would be near the front, but Braixen was to be right at her side with her other bridesmaids.

"Th-thanks…" Serena breathed out. Whipping her hair a bit, Serena looked back into the mirror while Shauna reached over and clipped it back with light pink clips, adorned with flowers on their surface. It accented Serena's face and her blue eyes, making her near shoulder-length hair not stick out too much. After doing that, Shauna moved along and set some things on the table before her. Just as Serena was about to take a look, the door was knocked on.

"Serena, is it all right to enter? Your father and I are here." Serena breathed again, and Shauna called for them to enter. The door cracked open and Serena turned to see her mother and father striding in, looking like the married couple they probably were before Y had left on his adventures. She was glad to see them like this, even if it was just for this and not a constant thing. That they could be here together for her wedding was enough for her. "No dress yet?"

"We don't want to ruin it," Serena admitted. Grace nodded, and then looked to the table. Y hung back, hands in his pockets as he was dressed in a suit with a light carnation upon it. He looked a little nervous, himself, as though embarrassed to be doing something so public again. Serena sent him an apologetic smile, but looked over to the objects on the table.

"It's looking like you're all set. Earrings from Shauna, the clips are from Miette for the ceremony, yes? And…" Grace said, trailing off at the end.

"My ribbon," Serena confirmed, touching to the fabric that had been through everything with her. "All for the good luck of the ceremony. Have you seen Ash?"

"Nope," Y said. "Though…I've been avoiding the lab and that whole area until the ceremony. Only because those two, Lionel and Aidan, arrived. I'm just trying to be careful. It may have been a long time ago, but I certainly don't want to mess up my daughter's big day."

"It's  _our_  big day," Serena said in correction. It simply sounded wrong to make the day all about her when it was just as much about Ash and all the people and Pokémon which had brought them there. "But thank you. And…thanks for…you know, giving me away."

"I wasn't around for your childhood. This is the least I can do, Serena." As if to confirm that was how he felt, Y leaned in and kissed his daughter on the cheek. She smiled with that. "Though, Grace, you should probably get to your seat and check things over, yourself…wouldn't do for you to not be there."

"Mm, you're right, honey. I'm sure Delia's already there…well, if she's not checking on Ash," Grace agreed, patting her husband on the shoulder and turning from the room. Y gave another sharp nod, and then he, too, exited from the room. Mere moments later, Dawn and Lillie arrived in the bedroom, along with a surprise Aria, bedecked in her own special formalwear and carrying the rather beautiful wedding dress. Serena couldn't help it as tears actually started coming to her eyes.

"I'd imagine you're going to look beautiful in this," the former Kalos Queen and friend said. Her eyes were twinkling with her own happiness.

"Thank you for coming, Aria." The pinkette nodded, and Serena got the sudden feeling that she'd be saying those words over and over again to every guest that had come to the wedding. Dawn stepped further in, and Serena stood while her bluenette friend winked at her.

"Well, enough talking about it. We bridesmaids still have to get dressed, too, so let's get this dress on. What do you say?" Dawn suggested. Serena rather liked that idea, and all of the women in the room got to work in getting Serena dressed. That, in and of itself, was an event. It didn't help that the process was continually interrupted by those coming to congratulate Serena on the wedding that still hadn't taken place. Eventually, Dawn and Bonnie (who had arrived in her own pale pink bridesmaid dress) kicked them all out and stuck a sign on the wall until Serena was fully dressed.

When she was, every woman in the room, including those who had  _worked_  on the dress, gasped with awe and light applauses. Serena was almost scared to look at herself in the mirror, even though she knew what she'd look like. It was only when Lillie spoke that she felt good enough to do so. "I hope I'll look so good at my own wedding!"

"Serena really does pull off the whole blushing bride look," Shauna said. Finally, Serena cracked her eyes open and got a look at herself, adorned with everything and ready to fully be married.

Something caught in her throat, like it was the final confirmation Serena needed that she was well and truly getting married. Her mother's old dress, changed to fit her own figure, was resting on her body. While it was a rather simple white dress, Dawn had altered it in a beautiful way, making Serena know she could have chosen no better. White flowers adorned her neckline in lace, the gossamer material reaching up to cover her shoulders like a beautiful shimmer, akin to tiny wings. The whole dress seemed to be made of that same shimmering lace that covered her legs, and ruffled itself before flowing into a wedding train. In her hair, holding the small length of it up, was her ribbon, while the earrings that Shauna had bought for her decorated her ears. Turning a bit, Serena could see the dress glimmer in the light of Ash's old room.

"Thank you, everyone!" she suddenly cried out, unable to help herself. All of her friends had truly outdone themselves in making her look beautiful. Dawn gave her a thumbs up, while Shauna put a hand on her shoulder, as though reminding her not to cry. Serena then bit at her lip and held her tears in, nodding to her Maid of Honor.

"Why don't you all get dressed? I'll keep Serena company," Aria offered to those that weren't yet dressed. Shauna agreed with that notion, and helped to usher Lillie and Dawn out of the room. Bonnie and Aria remained behind. "You're feeling ready?"

"Yes," Serena said with confidence. "I think I really am."

"It's gonna be so awesome!" Bonnie called, throwing her hands to the air. Serena then noticed that Dedenne was atop her head, sitting on top of a flower clip that was adorning the teenager's hair. "Like, I'm way excited. I mean, Ash and Serena! The reception will be even better. And then there's  _after_ …"

"Bonnie…" Serena scolded her friend. The lemon blonde just offered a sly grin in her direction.

"I'm just saying.  _Everyone_  knows what comes after the wedding. Well…maybe Ash and Clemont don't, but they're dense. I bet you had to hold his hand through your first-"

"On that, we'll wait downstairs," Aria stated, patting Bonnie to maneuver her out of the room. Bonnie continued shooting her sly grin at Serena, who blushed at the implications. She really hated the time that the girl had spent with Lionel all those years ago; she imagined that Meyer did, too.

"Now, Serena's  _really_  a blushing bride!" Bonnie cheered. Then, she and Aria were gone, leaving Serena alone in her dress with her thoughts. She swallowed again and looked out of the window, over to the lab, and could see where everyone was starting to be seated by the ushers (which were really just Greninja, Infernape, Krookodile and Sceptile in bowties, with Snivy pushing and pulling chairs alongside Bulbasaur and Bayleef, who was stiff, but mellow enough). It would all start in just a few short moments.

"Braixen, are you ready, too?" she asked of her partner, the fox having helped with the dress, but remaining silent otherwise. It was like she was a guardian presence, and one that Serena was grateful to have. Braixen nodded, adorning her own head with a crown of flowers. "Thank you for being with me for this. You've always been one of my best friends. Now, please stay with me for this next chapter?"

"Brai brai!" Braixen said, smiling with her eyes. Serena reached forward and hugged her first ever Pokémon tightly. Just as Pikachu had always stuck by Ash's side, Braixen was always with her, just as she was and always would be. Serena was eternally glad for all the love and support from the fox (and all her Pokémon, of course). Once she'd finished, Serena straightened herself, Braixen taking hold of her wedding train and walking her down the stairs to join her bridesmaids, each adorned in a light pink that matched Bonnie, similar to the dress the Performer had worn in Kalos. Once the bouquet was in each of their hands, Serena smiled at them and at her father, who was standing by near the door.

"Everyone, thank you for everything," she said to them, smiling at each in turn. They returned the smile. "I think I'm ready to be married."

* * *

"Oh, my little boy looks so handsome!" Delia cooed at the sight of her son, reaching out to ruffle his hair, but stopping herself. Ash was grateful. He already felt uncomfortable enough in the suit that he'd picked out (or Brock had helped him pick out). Clemont and Gary looked just as uncomfortable, though Cilan didn't, while Brock seemed to approve of his own look, reminding the raven-haired trainer of their party at Ancien City, following the Team Tournament. That was a moment Ash couldn't forget, especially not today. However, he pushed it aside in time to see Croagunk was doing much the same as his trainer in admiring himself in the mirror, the little bowtie clashing horribly with his skin color. "You almost look just like  _your_  father on our wedding day, but so much more mature!"

"Is that possible?" Gary snarked. Ash glared at the brunet, who laughed, before proceeding to adjust his suit in order to make it fit better. After a sigh, Ash turned back towards his mother.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, very much so. Your father was quite the handsome man, after all," his mother said. Ash nodded, reaching up for the locket that was still around his neck, the gold chain hidden underneath his off-white (some may have said a pleasing gray) suit. He could feel the pictures there encouraging him, in a way. It was like his father was fully approving of his marriage, making him ready to face it fully. Hearing his mother tell him that he was handsome enough for the wedding made him feel that way, along with Pikachu on his shoulder, dressed in a little suit of his own.

"That's good to know. I bet Buneary will be head over heels for you, Pikachu," Ash said to his partner. The joke was evident, but Pikachu began sweating a little at the implication of it. "Well, anyway, I am totally psyched for this!"

"You look it, Ash," called a voice from the front doors of Professor Oak's lab. The raven-haired trainer's eyes lit up at the sight of the two men walking through, with another two people trailing behind them, obviously to visit the groom before the big event. "Goodness knows how long we've been vicariously following your engagement. Good to see you, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Er…yes?" Ash looked over as his mother wore a rather bemused expression at not noticing the two men approaching. Granted, one was completely silent and only offering a nod to the groom and Gary, but they were both recognizable to most there.

"Lionel, Aidan, you were able to make it?" Ash asked of his father's best friends. He stepped forward, careful not to trip in his wedding outfit, until he reached the darker-skinned of the two men and hugged him. "I'm glad."

"Please! Missing your wedding? Even a stick in the mud like Aidan wouldn't miss it," Lionel said, slapping Ash on the back as they withdrew. In the process, Ash saw the other two that had arrived with the pair of men, the first of them being Maka. The young woman was bounding over to his mother, handing her what looked like a small drive that contained something for the reception. Ash didn't pay attention to the details. He did look at who her companion was, though: Keoni, scratching the side of his head with exhaustion of either the day or other work. On second glance, his own suit complimented Maka's dress quite well. Aidan narrowed his gaze on Lionel.

" _I_  was the one who reminded  _you_ ," Aidan said. Lionel just laughed, but the blond finally adorned his own face with a smile. "Congratulations, Ash. Thank you for the invite. I'd…er, imagine that Seamus is around?"

"Yeah," was Ash's reply. That seemed to be all that the two men needed, prompting them to not stay long. With another brief hug and a wave farewell, Lionel and Aidan departed past Maka and Keoni, with the young male stepping forward. Ash noticed that his mother was still wearing a perplexed expression in the wake of Lionel and Aidan, but crossed it off her face like usual from the strange assortment of guests as Professor Oak descended from his lab's upper level, dressed in a suit that said he was ready to officiate the wedding.

"Ash," Keoni said. Ash watched him for a moment, his attention now drawn to the young man, and even Clemont had stopped moving. The other three groomsmen were speaking amongst each other, Cilan's particular way of speech being the most noticeable, yet Ash was solely focused on Keoni. "She's a great lady…and you're…pretty good with her. So, uh…take care of her and…uh…congrats. Yeah."

"Aw, Keoni's such a softy!" Maka said, reaching forward to grab her "date's" hand, and begin pulling him away. "Come on, let's get seats!"

"Maka, stop pulling! It's not like I'm your boyfriend!" Keoni protested, but allowed himself to get dragged along, anyway. Ash shook his head with a light laugh, and Professor Oak finished stepping down into the lower level while Tracey returned from the backyard.

"Everything is set for the reception this evening, professor!" the assistant (though Ash always felt he was an equal by this point) called over. Professor Oak clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Well, let's get this show on the road then!" Oak announced to the group there. "I already got word that the whole bridal party is ready. Are you all set, Ash?"

"You got it, professor!" Ash told him, fighting down the small nervousness with a thumbs up. Pikachu flexed his fist.

"Pikachu!" Ash breathed in at his partner's excitement, and all of his groomsmen drew close to him, with Cilan clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yes, his voice is filled with a lemony zest that speaks to his excitement of filling his life with this particular spice!" the connoisseur spoke. Oak nodded his head, and clapped his hands one more time, leading the way towards the exit from his lab. Ash's mother slipped close, taking her son's arm with a light smile and squeezing it. He felt her encouragement and pride, and the pair of mother and son began to walk after Professor Oak. Tracey also did, splitting off the second they were outside and running for the site of the wedding over the hills and plains. Behind Ash were his groomsmen, Brock leading the pack with a grin.

Their own party continued walking until they reached a spot just at the end of one of the rolling hills. Ash knew that directly over it was the crowd of people there for the wedding. He could hear them just beyond the light embankment, but couldn't see them, and they couldn't see him. It was obvious, though, by the sight of Trevor and Todd to the sides, snapping quick photos. Most important, however, was the group of women now approaching, with Shauna in the lead, and Dawn, Lillie and Bonnie trailing behind her ecstatically. The only ones not there were Serena and her father.

"Well, it would seem that we're all gathered here, then," Oak said. He was grinning from ear to ear, showing how utterly excited he was for the events that were to come. Ash could share in that excitement as Shauna and Brock hooked arms. The others all followed suit behind them, with Dawn paired up with Gary, Lillie with Clemont, and Bonnie looking just a little annoyed at Cilan.

"I'd rather be paired up with Max…" the youngest of them complained. Clemont chuckled a bit, but stopped when his sister glared at him. "No funny thoughts, Clemont!"

"Come on, all of you. This isn't about the wedding party," Brock reminded them all sternly. Ash knew that insistence would probably fly out the window the second he saw Aria, Cynthia or Diantha, but for the moment he appreciated his friend's efforts. Ash's mother squeezed his arm tighter, and Oak stood up a little straighter.

"If we're ready then, I believe it's time to begin!" the professor stated triumphantly, his voice rising over the hills and plains of Pallet Town. Beyond, the crowd quieted, clearly realizing that the ceremony was about to begin. Ash also realized it, and he squeezed his own mother's arm while Pikachu patted his face with a paw. "As we rehearsed, Ash, my boy."

Ash couldn't quite form words at that moment, so he jerked his head up and down a little. That was enough for the professor, who spun around and began walking forward, up the hill. Despite his older age, he was still as spry as ever, and the general sound of chairs moving across grass mere moments later showed that the guests had seen him coming.

The music started. Ash breathed in. Pikachu stood up straight on his shoulder, and then his mother tapped her foot. It was time to move. With an almost trembling step forward, Ash's foot hit the grass, carrying him and his mother up the small hill, soon arriving in view of all of the guests at the ceremony. Though there were so many of them there, watching him, from Paul (who looked mildly uncomfortable) to Kahili (who just looked odd in a dress, despite the familiar proud smirk), that Ash found confidence with every step forward. The band, led by his old rival Nando and a group of Chatot and Kricketune, continued on with their steady pace, not wavering once.

Neither did Ash, arm clasped with his mother's.

He continued walking onto the carpet that led to the altar, where Ash stared ahead at Professor Oak. The man was smiling warmly as he waited, and for a second, Ash allowed his gaze to drift. He saw his gathered friends there, all of them looking nice, and took notice of Diantha, who nodded at him. Close to the front row, Ash blinked a little, seeing three familiar individuals, dressed in worse disguises than he knew they were capable of, but bawling their eyes out at the sight. Ash smiled at their presence there, feeling it wouldn't have been complete without them. Around the borders of the wedding setup were Ash's Pokémon, each of them full of clear excitement and exuberance, with some even dressed for the occasion. Ash breathed out, and finally he reached the edge of the path to the altar. Pikachu tapped him with his tail from behind, prompting Ash to go through all of the things they had rehearsed. He let go of his mother and gave a slight bow to her, allowing her to shuttle off to the side.

By this point, Grace had stood on the bride's side of the family, and Ash took her hand and bowed to her. It seemed like a strange tradition, but Ash was all right with it as Grace gave him her approving look before sitting down once again. Ash then swallowed and finished making his way up to the altar. He wanted to run, but forced himself to slow, taking in the sight of the beautifully adorned archway, layered with flowers. Light blossoms floated up on the air, too, wafted up by the soft breeze as Ash took the position that was marked for him. Knowing he had nothing left to do for the moment, Ash turned to watch the rest of the procession while Pikachu adjusted his bowtie on his suit. Both were pretty sure that Buneary swooned next to Iris and May. Piplup just pouted that he wasn't up there with his best friend.

Within moments, Brock was walking forward with Shauna, both of them ramrod straight, though Ash's Best Man couldn't seem to help but wink at Aria in the crowd. She giggled, while Misty's fingers looked to be twitching, the same as Max's. Thankfully, Croagunk, who was stealthily sliding along at his trainer's side, restrained himself, and the two soon reached the altar. They were quickly filed in with a more graceful pairing of Dawn and Gary, an embarrassed pair of Lillie and Clemont (with Hau's mouth covered by Gladion to prevent any comments, as Hala shook his head and Kukui and Burnet laughed), and finally a rather exuberant pairing in Bonnie and Cilan, who almost seemed to forget they were at a wedding for a moment until Professor Oak cleared his throat. That made them shape up real quick, but Bonnie decided to be a tease and wink to Max in the crowd, as though taunting him that she was up there and he wasn't. Ash wasn't sure Max cared, but he did seem to flush with embarrassment.

The band continued on, and murmurs were coming through the crowd of guests, all of them turning to see the next member of the procession, who happened to be Oshawott, the little Pokémon running forward with his scalchop held in his flippers, the two wedding rings settled upon them.

"Osha!" he cried as he began running down the aisle proudly, his chest puffed out. Some of the females in the seats, such as Acerola, appeared to find the Sea Otter Pokémon adorable, and he ran with that perception. Ash quirked an eyebrow as he heard Paul and Trip snort (the latter quieter than the former), but the Water type kept trying his best. At one point, he almost tripped, until an arrow flitted through to lock him in place until his balance was regained. Once he had, he started forward. "Osha osha wott!"

"Thank you very much, Oshawott," Brock stated, bending down to take the rings and patting him on the head. Looking very proud, and getting a smiling nod from Ash, Oshawott left the altar to join Snivy and Pignite, both looking proud of him, as well. Then Ash saw Sylveon, and his heartrate spiked. They were getting closer.

"Sylvie! Sylvie!" Sylveon called, a basket secured to her head with one of her ribbons while the other ribbon flicked the flowers out onto the carpet. She smiled at all of those watching her, to Ash's own sense of pride. It was proof of how far Serena and she had come that Sylveon wasn't even batting an eye at more or less performing, prancing along the corridor between the chairs, in front of so many people until, finally, she finished her flowery procession, and darted to the bride's side of the guests. There, she joined with Primarina, Sandshrew and Pancham, all of them turning to face the back. In fact, everyone did so, and Ash looked to Pikachu. It was time.

The band suddenly faded, and then changed up with a different tune, one that Ash had so far only heard on television.

Like a loud sound of clattering, everyone stood while the band swelled, staring for the point at the crest of the hill that Ash knew Serena was about to finally walk over. It took a few minutes, but at long last, she did.

He'd never thought about it before, and it had rarely affected him, but in that moment, Ash was surprised at the fact he'd had his breath stolen away. Maybe it was because Serena was naturally so beautiful to him. Maybe it was because he was just so used to seeing her in natural clothes. Or maybe it was just the atmosphere of it all. Regardless of any of that, what Ash knew right then was that Serena looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding dress, and he felt his body heating up, cheeks flushing, and every bit of him was tingling with the excitement. She, too, was wearing her usual radiant smile that was enough to make everyone melt under it. Some did, while others gasped at how beautiful she looked.

Even with all that, Ash could see how little vanity his bride-to-be held, nodding at all of them graciously, while gripping to her bouquet of familiar flowers. Ash had never been surprised that she'd chosen those particular ones for this day. On her arm, walking her down the aisle, was her father, looking like he was as proud as could be. His own gaze was held on Ash, as if reiterating what was shared between them just a few days before. That made him stand straighter, continuing to stare at Serena's utterly angelic figure. He really couldn't imagine her any more perfect as Braixen made sure her train didn't cause her to trip. The closer she got, the more that Ash saw she was actually wearing a light veil, slightly obscuring her beautiful golden locks, until, finally, she reached the end of the aisle.

There was a brief moment of silence as the band began to fade into the quiet, and Serena turned to face her father, smiling at him. Ash beamed to Pikachu, both of them realizing how much this moment meant to her, not only as a father giving away his daughter, but also as a sign of just who her father  _was_. It was, therefore, heartwarming when Y lifted her veil and kissed her on the head, and then both cheeks, before lowering it once again, allowing her to finally step up onto the altar. Shauna reached forward and took her bouquet of asters, zinnias and lilies, before she stepped forward. Pikachu nudged Ash, and he did the same, the two finally meeting while everyone began to sit.

"Hey," she breathed, looking flushed with all the excitement that only this situation could bring. Ash couldn't bring himself to say anything. He did know that he wanted to kiss her, but remembered that he couldn't. Instead, he reached out to take her hands and squeeze them before smiling. She smiled right back, some of her teeth showing.

Bonnie suddenly hissed out, "Shouldn't you be at the top? Stop being googly eyed."

"Bonnie!" Clemont whispered harshly. Of course, in the wide-open space, it carried over the entire crowd, making some of them laugh. There were a few raucous ones from those of Guzma and Family. Ash couldn't help but let himself laugh at well, easing whatever tension there was inside him, dispelling it almost entirely. Taking Serena's hand tightly, the engaged, soon to be married, couple ascended the last of the distance to stand before Professor Oak, who observed the both of them with his ever-warm smile. The professor cleared his throat, offering the couple a chance to breathe.

"Dearly beloved, family, friends, guests and many others besides," he began, clearly trying to encompass everyone, "we're gathered here today, as you all know, to celebrate the joining of Ash Ketchum and Serena in holy matrimony. This is a big milestone for any couple, and especially for the two here, after having braved much, even chronicled by many of you here. To that, I and this couple invite you to be attentive in remembrance for this event, and the joining of two lives as one. In fact, for this very moment, I've prepared a haiku."

"Professor…" Ash muttered under his breath, not realizing that the man had actually gone this far in preparing for the ceremony. Dawn looked taken away behind Serena, though, eyes shimmering while Gary shrugged in amusement. Serena just squeezed Ash's hand.

"Two hearts beating one, Ash Ketchum and Serena, a wedding most bright," the professor said sharply, clearly proud of himself for what he had come up with. Some of the crowd seemed to laugh at the professor's words, but somehow, Ash seemed to recognize just what they meant to himself. His eyes briefly traveled to the forest beyond, where he'd met Serena so long ago. It lent all the more meaning to Oak's words. "Now, before we begin the ceremony here, I'd like to express my own gratitude at officiating the ceremony for these two. I've known Ash since he was a small child, always playing around, and I remember Serena quite keenly from my own Summer Camp here in Pallet Town.

"I never thought they'd end up marrying one another back then, but from my perspective, neither are more suited for one another. It gives me great joy to see such two young people grow and flourish as a couple, ready to take the step forward that is marriage; one which many of you here may know, and likewise, many of you have yet to discover. Yet, as Kanto's leading professor, I have had to be attentive through much, and I ask you to do so here for Ash and Serena, just as Pikachu and Braixen will be witnesses for these two."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu called out, raising a paw, as if to confirm that what Oak said was true. Braixen also agreed with it, though was far less vocal than Pikachu.

"Now, a moment for those who could not be here today, if you please," Professor Oak said, and the weight hit Ash tightly. Serena continued to squeeze his hand, sharing in the weight, like she was lifting that burden from him. He really loved that about her, the way she was always so willing to take on burdens and make people lighter, but knew how to moderate herself, typically. Knowing all too acutely the loss of his father, he appreciated her always being there for him.

Bowing his head, Ash looked over to his mother as she wiped tears from her eyes, looking up at the altar with a smile. He knew: she wasn't crying because Jack Ketchum wasn't here, but because Ash Ketchum  _was_. After that brief moment of silence passed through the crowd, each of them raised their heads, prepared to go on with the ceremony, allowing Ash one more chance to see the amalgamation of familiar faces that included members of various Elite Fours, and even those two guys from the event eight years ago that had led the couple here. Once he'd finished that glance, Professor Oak began to speak once more.

"Mm-mm, well, with that, I believe it's time for us to wed these two, don't you think?" Professor Oak asked, though it appeared to be less directed towards the crowd, and more towards the couple themselves. "Ash and Serena, standing before me here, grown up adults that have guided the waves of the world, fought against its merciless tide and come out on top, both of you are ready for the commitment that is upon you, I'd imagine. Of course, marriage isn't something to be taken lightly, but after all you've done for each other, supporting one another in times of weakness, despair and danger, all while being a positive force for good in the other's life, I don't think this is much of an issue for either of you to make this commitment in this moment."

"No, it's not," Serena insisted. Ash gave a slightly crooked grin from the side, while Professor Oak nodded sharply. He agreed with the bride's words, and looked more than happy to have heard them from her.

"As someone who's had the pleasure of knowing you both, I am sure that myself and many others here can agree that your relationship is one of the strongest bonds, only surpassed by those held with your Pokémon." Pikachu and Braixen called out, as did the rest of the couple's combined Pokémon in the crowd, signifying their own agreement of the statement. "Ironically, as I can also tell you, it is these same important bonds that are needed for a marriage. Trust, belief, care, concern, love; all of the very qualities that have helped transform you into tremendous Pokémon trainers, the likes of which can have a wedding as large as this, are the same ones needed for a strong and healthy marriage. Do you agree?"

"We agree," Ash and Serena spoke together. There were some flashes of the cameras in the crowd, ones that Ash had only noticed once before, and a little bit of happy sighing, but Ash ignored it. Already he could actually feel a little hunger, but pushed it away. Yet, Serena knew these things all the same while Professor Oak bristled, ready to move on.

"Before moving on, I suppose I should ask for any objections…?" Ash raised an eyebrow, turning back for all of a second to see if there, in fact, would be any. Bonnie had turned, too, glaring at the crowd alongside Dawn, as if daring them. Ash's groomsmen were far less prone to it. Either way, not a single word was uttered in objection. Though, words were spoken.

"Would we really be here if there were objections? Get on with it," Paul called from the back, clearly bored. Ash would have expected no less from his rival, and the same with the purple-haired man's brother, elbowing him for curt rudeness. Although, the murmur that cascaded through the crowd seemed to show agreement with Paul's ideas.

"Very well, since there are none. Brock, could I have the rings?"

"Here they are," Brock said, holding his hand out to display the two wedding bands that Oshawott had delivered. The Sea Otter still looked utterly proud of that moment, moreso than any battle. It seemed to elicit a giggle from Mairin, who'd been paying attention to him from somewhere in the crowd next to Alain and what looked like Ash's old acquaintance Anabel. The professor took the rings, and held them up for Ash and Serena to see, the raven-haired groom now facing firmly front again with embarrassment. Pikachu shook his head.

"These rings serve as the physical representation of your marriage, blessed as it is, and it is with these you will wed each other, to signify and symbolize the eternity of your love," Oak continued on. Ash was listening raptly, trying to remember all of the parts of the rehearsal and what was coming next. His body grew jittery with the anticipation, but remembering Serena's presence there helped calm him. "By entering into marriage, as my haiku so perfectly illustrated-"

There was a cough in the crowd from what sounded like Samson Oak, clapped on the back by Kukui and sounding oddly like, "Show off". Oak passed it off, ignoring his younger cousin.

"By entering into marriage," he stated again, this time with more emphasis, "you will become two hearts beating as one. Here, you claim your commitment on this journey together as one in spirit. This is, of course, your commitment in coming here today. And it is for this reason that Ash and Serena have their own vows to share before we can finally wed these two! So, that said, if you could exchange your vows."

Ash swallowed once more and turned, facing Serena, and taking her other hand in his. From that position he had a far better view of the wedding party and the guests beyond. Dawn and Lillie looked to actually be holding back tears, while Shauna smiled, almost bouncing up and down with the bouquet. In the crowd, various others that knew them best had begun to tear up as well, while the obvious trio that was Team Rocket (plus Wobbuffet) were practically bawling.

"Da twoip wrote his own vows!"

"Hush, you two. I don't have much romance these days, so I need it!" Jessie snapped. Serena laughed a little under her breath, yet held it in nonetheless. Ash looked to her, staring into her beautiful blue eyes, and wondered if he should go first in sharing the lines. For some reason, he quite forgot the order of things from all those rehearsals. Thankfully, his soon-to-be better half let go of his hand and touched him lightly on the cheek, the coolness of her engagement ring lingering there.

"Ash Ketchum," she said, voice carrying across to a now quieting crowd, even with the sniffles dotting said expanse of people. "I met you when I was just five years old, a scared girl in the woods, frightened of a Poliwag. When you appeared before me that day, you were like a knight in shining armor; one that I would never forget. Years later, we reunited, and my feelings of love for you only grew. With everything you did, you inspired me, and helped me to grow as both a Pokémon trainer, and as a person. Without you, I would not be who I am, let alone standing here with you."

"Brai," Braixen agreed, cutting across a pause in Serena's words. Bonnie, for all her lack of decorum, placed her hands behind her head and grinned at that action. In the crowd, Ash could faintly see Miette smirking, while Sawyer watched the exchange from next to her with wide eyes. Serena breathed in and out.

"The day I told you that I loved you was a freeing day, but at the same time, it was this day of clarity for me, because it helped me realize how I truly felt about you, wanted to stay with you forever, and what that meant," Serena continued on. She looked right at him, smiling up at him and holding back even her own tears. "Ash Ketchum, from Ancien City on, I promised to love you, cherish you, protect you, inspire  _you_ , and at the end of the day, care for your entire being, even when you choose to not do so for yourself. I promise to love you until there's no more breath in my body or beating in my heart. Even beyond that, I will always be there for you. Because nothing we do in our marriage the rest of our lives will be a waste of time.

"I love you, Ash. I love you, and no matter the hardships before us, be it a family, a battle or anything the world throws at us, I will continue loving you with every fiber of my being. Forever."

"Yeah, she does!" Bonnie stated, giving a sly grin over to Miette, who seemed to wink at her. There was a light clapping in the crowd from her statement. Clemont rolled his eyes, clearly refraining from scolding his sister further. James and Meowth appeared to start actually crying louder than Jessie, talking about how their "twerp had grown up", despite the fact Ash hadn't said a word yet. Jessie showed remarkably more constraint, dabbing at her eyes with the romance of it all, like a movie actress. Ash just raised an eyebrow at the three of them, subtle and unnoticeable as it was, but couldn't stop grinning. He did wait for all of the females to settle down from Serena's vow to him, one that made his heart swell inside with love for the woman before him, and watched as Professor Oak wiped some sweat from his brow. When everything quieted, the guests all waiting for Ash to speak, he did so. Pikachu's cheeks sparked a little to encourage him.

"Serena, you're the best, most amazing person I know," Ash started. He knew it didn't sound overtly romantic or sappy, but Serena stood there patiently, waiting for him. She was always waiting for him. "I love you, because of so many things I can't even say. For the way you took my hand in Ancien City. From how you always believed in me at my worst. The ability to see the best in me at those moments is what makes you so amazing. That you put up with my empty stomach, and my long training sessions. And my recklessness, which I always try to not have but somehow end up having it anyway!

"Chupichu…" Pikachu agreed, shrugging a bit. Serena laughed at the thought of it, showcasing yet again how beautiful her laugh was. It urged Ash to go on with his less than eloquent vow, but one spoken from the heart.

"You're…a beautiful person. Not only on the outside, because you are, and I love seeing your smile and hearing your laugh and everything you do, but also on the inside, because you always strive to help someone else," Ash assured her. She smiled to ensure he was saying all the right things, her eyes watering as she slowly understood the point he was getting at, just as she always did. "To ease their burden when they need it. Yet, you're sometimes vulnerable, and when I see that side of you, it helps remind me of a lot of other reasons I love you. That you're not someone perfect. You can get frustrated when things go wrong, and you scold me when I'm doing something not so great. And it's those moments where I love you more, because…I think the moment I really fell in love with you wasn't when we fought together in Ancien City, but the moment that you were crying on the battlefield after losing, even if I didn't know it then. I think that's it because…that's when I wanted to protect you most.

"Not that marriage is all about protecting, but I love you, and that's what I promise to do. I promise to protect you, support you and our family in everything we or you do, inspire you, push you forward, and take every step together, even if it's just a baby step. We could be having a hard time or a great time, but it's nothing different from any journey we've taken together. I promise to always walk that next journey with you forever. And…I'll never give up on loving you or us until the very end."

"Ash…" Serena whispered, the tears now well and truly forming in her eyes. Bonnie, for once in the entire ceremony, seemed to stop grinning and raised a hand up to rub at her eyes. Dedenne peered down, but she brushed him aside. Ash looked behind to Brock, Clemont, Gary and Cilan, all of them looking moderately impressed with the vow. Serena was what truly mattered, though, and she looked to be restraining herself from throwing her arms around him. In the crowd, Lionel gave an audible chuckle, all while shaking his head and wiping at his own eyes. Aidan said nothing. Serena stepped forward, and the two leaned to touch their foreheads against each other.

"Forever," they both said without thinking, and a small smattering of claps rose from the crowd by Korrina and Meyer.

"Their vows made, we now take these rings and wed Ash and Serena to each other," Professor Oak said, grabbing the couple's attention once more, displaying the pair before them. The professor looked insistently at Ash, and he got the message, remembering the next part from the rehearsals clearly, now that the memory of his vow was in the back of his mind. As another camera flash went off, he grabbed the ring and took Serena's hand.

"This ring is my promise, Serena, to never give up until the very end, and love you forever and ever. So, with it, I marry you," Ash said, unable to stop himself from grinning, but proud that he could remember, as he slid her engagement ring off, fitted the wedding band around it and slid it back on. Serena reached for his ring.

"And this is my promise to you, Ash, to always love and cherish you, no matter what. To never giving up, myself, and never giving into any despair. With this, I marry you," she said, her chest rising and falling with the sheer tension of the moment. Ash could feel it permeating the crowd, as well, as she slid the ring on to his finger and let it simply rest there, cold against it. Their hands both shook as they turned one final time to Professor Oak, the researcher beaming like a madman in the moment. Ash never thought he'd see him so excited for something that wasn't strictly Pokémon-related.

"With our couple having now made their vows fully to one another, I and the power of the regional authorities vested in me, and all life on our good world, human and Pokémon alike," the professor began, taking a deep breath with the same smile, "pronounce you, Ash and Serena, to be husband and wife from here on and forever more. I do believe this is the kissing part."

"Yeah! Kissy kissy!" Bonnie cried, finally getting over whatever tears she was having.

"Denenene!" Dedenne called, clearly just as eager to see the events. Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder, joining next to Greninja, who was narrowly avoiding Braixen's gaze, but nodding approvingly as he adjusted his bowtie.

Ash turned to Serena again, not letting the smile drop from his face. It was almost nerve-wracking to think about what was next, but the hard part was done. After so much time, they were finally married. Serena, however, leaned in.

"You  _do_  still have to kiss me, you know?" she stated, sending a chill down his spine, but a rather pleasant one. Drawing back, she appeared to swallow, and Ash knew she was just as nervous. "So…go for broke."

"You got it!" he said under his breath, and in one smooth motion, he reached forward and pulled her veil back before grabbing hold of her and kissing her. It was just a singular moment, but one that they vanished into.

The crowd cheered wildly. Talonflame led all of Ash's fliers through the air with an explosion of fireworks. Sylveon threw flowers up into the air. People stood and cheered loudly. Team Rocket clutched on to one another and started bawling loudly. Ash's mother shook with tears and laughter of joy, while Serena's parents held each other closely. The wedding party all clapped while Ash spun Serena around a moment, hardly thinking, but instead just  _living_  in the moment. Charizard sent a belching flame into the air in celebration. There were so many guests that it would have been impossible to count, but to the newly married couple, it didn't matter: they were in their own world.

"Yeah! Ash and Serena are married!" Bonnie called, as if announcing it to the world. Funnily enough, that was almost exactly what she was doing, and the cheers agreed with it. "Woohoo!"

"Ah! Bonnie!" Clemont cried, diving for his sister as she made to leap on to the married couple.

"Serena, I think you'll want this!" Shauna called, inserting the bouquet in for Serena to grab before Bonnie could cause a pileup on the altar. Papers, likely from Professor Oak's notes for reciting the wedding ceremony, flew everywhere as he tossed them. As the wedding party all made to give a great hug to the couple, surrounded by both the bride and groom's Pokémon, someone snapped a picture.

And while they didn't know it then, that one picture of them, surrounded by their family, became the couple's most cherished picture of their wedding for the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And so, they're married! I worked pretty hard to give a great ceremony, and I hope it didn't feel too dry. I mean, sure, I could have had something go wrong, but that would just seem so utterly cliché for this moment where all the fun quips and moments will be at the coming reception. I wanted this to be very focused on the couple, with only snippets of others that were there. Hopefully their vows and the rest of the ceremony was as beautiful as I hoped it would turn out. And hopefully I didn't miss too much, either.
> 
> Stick with me for the reception that is coming next time for a little more fun! Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	3. Part 3: The Reception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final part of the wedding. I hope you've enjoyed this and it's brought a smile to your face.

Part 3

The Reception

If anyone had their eye on Pallet Town that day (which, incidentally, most people did), they would have seen complete craziness permeating it. Cheers and Pokémon cries constantly split the air following the marriage of Ash and Serena. Everyone that was there was swallowed up by the wave of jubilation that washed through the crowd. Even those that hadn't been invited to attend the reception were still completely giddy to the point of packing up their tents and using their Pokémon to send their own fireworks up in the air as a mark of celebration.

Naturally, Clemont noticed, Ash and Serena had disappeared after their photo session, but considering that Shauna and Brock had disappeared with them (or so he assumed given Aria's presence, but no gawking Brock), the inventor was fairly certain that the two were freshening themselves up before the reception. He could only imagine just how crazy and exhausting actually getting married was. Heck, just standing there through the ceremony made  _him_  feel tired. It also made him gulp at the sight of both Korrina and Gurkinn coming over, joined by a conversing Astrid and Rocky. It was almost evening already by now, and Professor Oak appeared to have opened the bar in his backyard (even if it was a sight the inventor hadn't expected), with Tracey running it.

"Clemont! The ceremony was beautiful, wasn't it?" Korrina asked, draping her arm across her boyfriend once she'd made her way to his side. Clemont couldn't stop his knees from knocking together at the thought, especially with how pretty Korrina looked next to him in her cream-colored formal dress. "Serena made a beautiful bride."

"I'm sure you'll look just as beautiful, Korrina," Gurkinn coughed out, his eyes sliding over to Clemont. The inventor laughed nervously, wracking his brain for a response. It wasn't like he hadn't given thought to asking Korrina, of course. He'd brought it up  _numerous_  times…and when he didn't, Bonnie tended to. However, there was a mutual decision to not talk about it until after this particular event.

In the end, however, Clemont had no need to come up with a response, all thanks to the loud voice from the bar.

"Whoo! Wedding parties for everyone, yay!" Bonnie's horrendously loud voice wafted over those gathering at the reception. Clemont grimaced, and Korrina was right alongside him in doing so. Paying Gurkinn a small apology, the inventor and his girlfriend ran for the center of the lab's backyard, where numerous people were beginning to seat themselves at their table settings. Bonnie, naturally, was included in that group, sitting at the bar area. Near the center of the reception area, away from a large patch of grass where dancing would take place (albeit with a dance floor set up for the purpose), was the large wedding party table. Cilan was already there, regaling Lillie with tales of a particular malasada he'd once made, the blonde taking notes eagerly.

"Bonnie! What are you drinking?" Clemont yelled in abject horror.

"I'm not drinking anything! Just celebrating!" Bonnie called out, spinning around on her barstool. On the other side of the bar, Tracey was giving a lopsided grin. Oshawott and Pignite were there, too, alongside Corphish, each drinking…something. Whatever it was, Clemont only hoped that it wasn't the same as what Bonnie was having. "Our two best friends are married and we're partying! I think we should do these wedding things once a year…no, more!"

"Dene!" Dedenne agreed, diving into Bonnie's glass with gleeful abandon.

"I tried telling her not to, but Bonnie is a force of nature…" Max sighed out from his own seat further along. Bonnie seemed to order "another" without specifying it was, and to Clemont's complete and utter shock, Tracey apparently obliged her.

"You would know," May said from next to her brother, smoothing her dress' folds out. Max spluttered, turning a bright red, but Clemont wasn't entirely sure if it was from attraction to his sister or just indignation at the thought of it. Though he wanted to deny it, his sister was already sixteen and quite a beautiful girl. From what she said, she'd already had some boys she'd beaten in battle ask her out. Naturally, none of them could keep up with the girl. Only Max, as her "eternal rival", ever had enough presence to go after her in a battle capacity.

"I would not! I just know from our battles. What are you insinuating, May?" Whatever it was that she  _was_  insinuating, it was never spoken, since May sprung up from her chair to greet a green-haired boy in the gathering crowd at the reception. That left Max fuming as he stood from his chair. "Well, just you wait, Bonnie! Next time, we settle the battle between us once and for all!"

"Uh-huh, sure…good luck with  _thaaaat_!" Bonnie said, tacking on a giggle. That appeared to infuriate Max even further and he left in a huff. Bonnie tipped her head back and let out a raucous laugh, one that Clemont saw Paul roll his eyes at further down, accepting an orange juice from Tracey. The purple-haired man soon made his way over.

"He isn't here yet?" came the question. Clemont blinked, unsure how to answer before finally shaking his head. That prompted Paul to sigh rather loudly. "Guess I'm sticking around…"

"Paul, you're sticking around through dinner, at least. Show some respect," his brother yelled after him as the trainer retreated. Clemont watched Ash's rival take his leave, and realized that in reality, Paul was never intending to leave at all. He probably didn't want to admit it, but he was likely a little glad at having been invited to the wedding, even if socialization wasn't high on his list of priorities. Seeing that, Korrina finally nudged him.

"Clemont, I think she's drinking apple juice." That made Clemont's face sink; Bonnie wasn't getting drunk at all…she was just being her usual manic ball of energy self.

"My sister is pretending to get drunk on apple juice…can we not invite her to our wedding?" he groaned out without thinking, slapping his hand to his face. Korrina's face lit up brightly, but she didn't pursue the issue, despite her hands clapping together. She, unlike Bonnie, knew what was appropriate for Ash and Serena's wedding.

"Yeah, Korrina, when are you going to keep Clemont? !" Bonnie shouted, spinning around on her chair gleefully. Corphish hopped up on the table, and Clemont soon discovered that Chespin was with him, the two acting like they were the best friends in the world, a glass in each of their hands. "I'm tired of having to ask, and after this wedding, it's too much fuuuuuuuun!"

"Bonnie, can you please calm down? This isn't about me or Korrina. And where's Squishy in all this? I didn't see him at the ceremony," Clemont asked. Bonnie stopped spinning and gave a wink. She was clearly teasing the whole time, but it was starting to drive Clemont completely crazy. It didn't help that some of the Champions were here, too, making Bonnie seem even crazier than usual.

"Fine, fine…Ooh, is that Lionel? Lionel!" Bonnie called. At the same time, Clemont saw Bonnie's dress move around her chest area, along with a light burbling. He wanted to slap himself once again, just before turning to see Lionel making his way over. Behind him, seated at a table, were the three familiar faces of Team Rocket, each clearly looking hungry. At the very least, Clemont reasoned, Bonnie hadn't brought her Pokédex along; the Rotom program would have driven them all even crazier. "How have you been?"

"Just dandy, Bonnie. You keeping up your training and education?" the man asked, leaning on the bar and winking to the blonde. Bonnie grinned toothily as the two gave each other a high five. "That was a fun ceremony, eh? Jack would be proud of Ash, I think. I wasn't able to be there for his wedding, but I'm glad I could be here for his son's."

"You're not here on business, are you?" Clemont asked of the darker-skinned man. Lionel cast him a brief gaze and then sighed.

"I'm  _always_  on business these days. From running stuff for the League to just little spelunking expeditions, it's always busy. But busy is good," Lionel noted. Tracey appeared again, sliding over a drink to Lionel without the man ordering it. He took it nonetheless and stared off in the direction of Team Rocket, the trio eyeing the Pokémon there like they were reminiscing about each defeat at their hands. Clemont wondered if they were about to start something, but paid it little mind in the end. "Pretty sure we've found almost every artifact in existence by now. Just looking for a few more."

"We should do some more adventuring one day," Bonnie said. Dedenne agreed, popping out of her glass and splashing the counter with apple juice. "I think we'd have lots of fun."

"That we would, but I think a wedding is adventure enough for one day, don't you?" the leader of ARC asked, reaching over to ruffle Bonnie's hair before she stopped him. "Speaking of, there's Diantha and Lance. Think I'll go speak to them before the married couple turns up."

"Okay!" Bonnie sang out. At that, Clemont reached out and swiped her apple juice from her. "Hey!"

"No more for you. Go and sit at the wedding party's table," Clemont instructed, pointing to where Lillie and Cilan were. Dawn now seemed to be making her way over, departing from two young men that Clemont knew were Kenny and Barry. Gary was already there, too, chatting briefly with the contingent of Kukui, Burnet and Akela. Sighing once more, the blond turned to his girlfriend. "Sometimes, she's too much."

"Aw, you're handling it great Mr. Groomsman," Korrina assured him, adjusting his suit for him and looking his figure over. Beyond, towards the entrance into the backyard, Clemont saw Maka and Keoni, a camera set up to clearly film Ash and Serena. Korrina leaned in and gave Clemont a kiss. "Very handsome. And I'll see you on the dance floor."

"That's what I'm worried about…" Clemont commented. Korrina gave him another pat on the back, and his shoulders slumped, finally deciding to head over to the wedding table. Numerous other guests were filling in at the reception, including Gladion, Guzma and their whole grouping of Aether employees. Plumeria offered Clemont a nod before slapping her boss upside the head. He had to admit that she looked quite nice, dressed for the wedding, but clashed horribly with her far more ruffian-like companions.

Either way, Clemont continued on his way to his seat at the same moment that Brock and Shauna seemed to arrive, making everything almost full up at the main table, except for a dashing Bonnie. From a side door to the lab, Clemont could see Mallow, Lana and Kiawe making their way out with towers of food. The reception was well and truly about to begin. This was especially true as the blond inventor saw everyone invited, from Miette, Sawyer and Conway joining Team Rocket to those from the Kalos Team Tournament days like Bruce, Trent and Portia seating themselves with Team Nova, including little Thea, Bethany and Christopher's daughter.

The last ones to be seated were the obvious family members of the bride and groom, including Professor Oak. Then, there was a sound over the microphone and Harry Kalas' voice, ever-familiar, boomed over the wedding reception with enthusiasm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time, so give a great welcome to the new Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum, Ash and Serena, folks!"

* * *

Serena still couldn't believe it, even if the dress on her figure and the ring around her finger were proof enough. She was married! She was now Serena Ketchum, and her husband was staring at her with such a brilliant smile, that she was pretty sure she would melt if Shauna hadn't been supporting her up until now. However, at this moment, it was Ash, slipping his arm in hers, that was supporting her body.

"You got rid of that big long thing on your dress?" Ash asked. Pikachu slapped his forehead atop his trainer's shoulder while Braixen laughed.

"Yes, Ash, I did. I don't exactly want to be tripping over it through the reception," she answered him. He looked pretty interested by that, as though he'd learned some piece of crucial information that he hadn't known before. "Oh, don't worry. I think we're going to be sitting most of the time before the dancing and cake."

"I could go for cake…and cooking…I'm hungry," he admitted, laughing out with a rub behind the back of his head. Serena smiled at that, holding him tighter to herself. For a moment, she wondered if this were all some dream that she was just going to wake up from, but then she figured that Ash probably wouldn't be hungry in those dreams. At least marriage wasn't about to change him, and for that, she was grateful. Her own stomach soon rumbled, however. "Oh, good, I'm not the only one!"

"Getting married is stressful, I guess," Serena admitted, placing a hand on her stomach. She really hadn't realized how hungry she was before, and was glad that one of the famous Delia Ketchum dinners was waiting for them. Thinking on that, she laughed again. "But I'm a Ketchum now."

"Yeah! And our family is gonna be awesome!" Ash announced, pointing forward. No one else seemed to be around the lab they were standing in, merely waiting for the call to go out and take their seats. She was happy to see Ash in high spirits, in any case. "And…I meant what I said. You're totally awesome, too. And pretty. Really, really pretty."

"Pikapi…" Pikachu said, rolling his eyes. Serena appreciated it, though.

"Your vow was very heartfelt. Thank you, Ash," she said, reaching up a bit to kiss him. He returned it, giving his own silent thank you for her own vow. Or, at least, that was what Serena felt. Then an all too familiar face stepped inside the room, their own emcee for the reception flashing them a grin.

"Is our favorite couple all set?" Kalas asked. Ash threw him a thumbs up, and the man appeared to ripple with excitement, dashing to the outside. Serena gripped her husband closer and her bouquet to her chest, the two of them straightening up as Kalas' voice called out to the reception crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time, so give a great welcome to the new Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum, Ash and Serena, folks."

"Here we go!" Ash called, showing all the enthusiasm he would before a battle. They lifted their legs up and took a step forward at the same time, through the door and out into the backyard of the lab. Like at the ceremony, itself, they were met with an eruption of cheers and well wishes. Music began playing in the background, but this wasn't courtesy of Nando, but instead of a video that was splaying itself on an erected screen.

"As a wedding gift from filmmaker extraordinaire, Maka, we have a special clip of the couple, tied together through many ordeals," Kalas spoke as they approached the table, grinning at all of their guests. Ash attempted to hold himself gracefully, though any of his missteps were covered by Serena. The wedding party all stood, with Trevor working his way in to take a picture of them all before the married couple stopped and allowed a few pictures of themselves. Of course, they'd already been through a bevy of photos earlier in the day, yet the smiles remained on their faces for those other pictures.

On the large screen was edited footage, put together by Maka and her whip smart film crew. From images of the Kalos Team Tournament to a surprise piece of footage from when they had recorded for a Pikachu movie during their time in Kalos. It was really a collage of all their different moments together as a couple, making slight tears rest on Serena's eyelashes. Ash even looked a little emotional, clearly remembering each and every one of those moments.

"I never expected  _you_  to get so emotional," she whispered to him, the closer they got to the table. Caterers that Mrs. Ketchum (well, the older one, Serena realized) were milling around, placing down plates of food in front of all the guests. Hau and Pipi looked ready to dig in until Gladion slapped him upside the head. Lillie muffled her giggles at the wedding table.

"Well, I mean…it is our wedding, right? No better time," Ash stated with a sheepish look. Serena beamed at him for that, remembering how he'd cried tears of joy at his Alola League victory. More than that, she remembered the most she'd ever seen him cry upon losing his father. Ash certainly had the capacity to be emotional, and she was glad that he had decided to show it here.

"Happy wedding, you two!" Maka called out as Serena watched the video finish to the applause of the guests there. The couple stopped at the black-haired girl having approached them, her flowery dress flapping a bit in the breeze. At her table, Keoni was tossing some green beans up in the air for her Oricorio to catch. "Thanks for letting me be a part of it."

"Of course, Maka," Serena insisted, hugging her former rival. Ash seemed to look off to some of his own. There would be no hugging involved there, for sure, but the nods from everyone, even a far too reticent Paul, showed that they were all congratulating him on the marriage. "And thank  _you_  for your gift."

"It was nothing," Maka insisted with a light blush of embarrassment. Then she turned right around and headed for her table. Shortly after, the couple  _finally_  reached their own, pausing for a picture with the rest of their wedding party before being seated, Serena placing the bouquet on the table. Kalas leaned forward, speaking into his mic.

"Well, everyone, we've got a fun night ahead of us, so dig in for some dinner in celebration of this power couple tying the knot!" he called out with a cheer. Some responded with their own cheers, digging right into their food, while others were more reserved. Some of the most reserved actually didn't even start eating, with one of them coming right over to the couple. Ash actually seemed to bemoan the fact he couldn't eat.

"You two make a beautiful couple," Diantha congratulated them. Ash stood to greet her, woefully leaving his food uneaten. Pikachu had no such compunction, joining Piplup and Dedenne further down the table to eat. Buneary was there as well, clearly swooning over Pikachu in his little suit. Behind them, Serena could see Pancham and Chespin eating alongside Hawlucha and Noivern. "Thank you for the invite. I made sure Kathi completely cleared my busy schedule just for this."

"I'm glad you could come, too!" Ash said, taking her hand. Serena stood, as well, smoothing out her dress to take the woman's hand, as well. "You should come by for dinner sometime, Diantha."

"Mm, I'd very much like to when I have an opening in my schedule. With the Hub finishing construction, I may not have the time right away….Ah, sometimes I wish  _you_  took the duties as Champion," Diantha admitted with a wink, but both of the top trainers laughed it off. Serena was glad to see them getting along, knowing how close the two had become as friends since Ash's defeat of her. "Either way, congratulations, and we'll definitely talk dinner, maybe even a battle of some sort; it's been some time."

"For sure!" Ash agreed, and the Champion soon departed. He now turned to his wife. "Should we just keep standing…?"

"Might as well," Dawn called across the table, popping some potatoes in her mouth and chewing. Ash looked at his food longingly, especially when he heard all of his Pokémon munching away happily. Serena just squeezed his hand and patted him on the back. Their gurgling stomachs would have to wait a little longer. "I'm just saying, you've already got, like, five people heading over."

"Are all weddings this big?" Lillie asked. Dawn shrugged, clearly not having the answer, which made Shauna laugh. Serena looked to her Maid of Honor and the two shared an amused look; both of them doubted any wedding could match theirs, unless it was between Diantha and Steven, or something like that.

"The size does lend a certain flavor to the whole meal. Like a tinge of-"

"A tinge of you shutting up would be nice…" Bonnie snapped, tossing her own carrot at Cilan. The connoisseur took it in stride, but decided to shut up indeed when Gary cleared his throat. Brock suddenly stood.

"Aria, my precious maiden! How lovely to see that you've come to this-"

"Gunk!" Croagunk called out, and Brock slammed forward, his face hitting his potatoes. Aria, who had indeed approached the table, reached out to pat him on the head consolingly.

"I'm glad to be here. Save a dance for me, will you? We haven't talked in some time," the former Kalos Queen spoke to the doctor. Serena stepped forward, taking Aria's hands while Ash regarded a giddily smiling Brock with amusement. "You both looked positively radiant up there. I know I saw you in your dress before, but it was something else up on the altar. Even Palermo thought so, and we both know she's usually a stick in the mud."

"Is she still here?" Serena asked, stepping back. To that, Aria shook her head.

"No, she had to go back with Monsieur Pierre. The Showcase season is starting up soon, and last year's competition was so high, they're looking to elevate it. Probably thinking of new things to improve it. You don't have any ideas, do you?"

Serena didn't, but it did give her mind something to think about for the future, to be sure. Regardless of that, Aria continued to congratulate the couple before leaning down to kiss Brock on the head and disappear back to her table. Ash and Serena waited a moment, greeting some of those that passed by in giving their congratulations, and when they reached a point that no one else came up right away, they sat back down and immediately started in on dinner.

Granted, dinner didn't go without any interruptions. There were a  _lot_  of people wanting to come and congratulate the couple on their nuptials, leading to a lot more standing and a lot more breaking in their food. From Misty and Iris, the former surprisingly starry eyed over the wedding ceremony, all the way to Meyer. There was even Seamus, with his assistant from his school looking like a sweet, shy Deerling in the media spotlight of it all. Thankfully, Serena noticed that the media's presence was contained solely to Malva, who was too busy engaging in conversation with Gladion to butt her nose in. The guests continued to come and go in general, with almost everyone looking to get their minute with the couple, who would sneak in quick bites in between all of the meet and greets. Serena soon noticed that even Guzma was eyeing them, only coming over when dinner seemed to be winding down and slamming his hands on the table. In the air, Latias (who was, indeed, attending the event) almost looked a little offended.

"Yo, nice job!" he said, bobbing his head up and down in the spirit of congratulations. "I…er…yeah. Nice weddin' and all that. Thanks for invitin' your boy Guzma, and…ya know…we should battle someday. I got a score to settle and all, so…yeah…"

"Sure thing, Guzma," Ash said in response, reaching out to clasp Guzma's hand. The man nodded, having said everything he needed to, and then he shuffled back off towards Plumeria, clearly letting a big breath out. The woman patted him on the back while Hau just laughed loudly. Hala joined his grandson in the action. From across the way, Serena caught sight of Kahili, the woman raising a glass to Ash. For a moment, Serena thought she wouldn't say anything, until she yelled across the backyard.

"Nice job, Ash! As your teacher, I'm proud! Serena's an awesome woman, so keep her, got it!" the blue-haired woman called. Ash looked mortified by it, but the crowd laughed at the sentiment shared. That was also the moment where Brock deemed it necessary to bang on his glass a bit and rise to his feet.

"What a day for my best friend, yeah?" the man asked, sending a knowing look in Ash's direction. Serena sat back, smoothing out her dress once more and catching sight of her mother. The two women locked eyes for a moment, and she could see the genuine pride and love within her mother's gaze, wishing her all the happiness in the world. However, Serena tore it away in order to listen to Brock's speech, the sun sinking ever lower on the horizon while the lights around the backyard came on. The Pokémon stood up at attention and Pikachu returned to Ash while Braixen came to her own side.

"I met Ash, what, over a decade ago now? At the time he was brash, and stupid and prone to doing lots of things no sane Pokémon trainer would ever think of doing," Brock continued on. Ash scratched at his head, looking embarrassed, while Misty chuckled at a nearby table. "But underneath all that beat a heart of love for people and Pokémon. Sure, he was a little dense most of the time, something that never really went away even after meeting Serena, but he showed a capacity for care that I think few others ever matched…until I met Serena.

"She was smitten with Ash. I could tell almost right away, but kept it to myself because it seemed to embarrass her. The more I watched her with him, the more I knew she cared, not just about him, but about everyone. She held the same altruistic heart as my best friend. Maybe that's part of what drew them together, but I can also say it was their compatibility and ability to inspire and grow from one another that truly made me look at them as a couple. That they survived through all of their hardships to today said as much."

"Hear hear!" Bonnie called, downing another glass of apple juice, but nearly choking on it. Clemont seemed exasperated, while Brock decided to finish up his small speech.

"Anyway, I've seen Ash grow into a competent and capable young man who has never once lost that love and care, and I am very happy to say that he's finally married today!" Brock called to the crowd at large, earning a range of applause. "I wish them the best of futures, knowing that they'll do it together in a way only they can. To Ash and Serena!"

"To Ash and Serena!" called the crowd, with Shauna's voice a little louder than most. Serena looked to her Maid of Honor, coming to stand as Brock sat, the man sending a wink in Aria's direction. The crowd quieted again, waiting for the next speech to be given. Bonnie looked to be bored.

"Serena's my best friend, which is sort of obvious," Shauna stated, flattening out her bridesmaid dress. The crowd was riveted on her speech as she continued on, swallowing. "We met around the same time I met both her and Ash. At the time, it wasn't really obvious to me just how much Serena admired him and cared about him, but the more we competed for the title of Kalos Queen, the more I saw how much they really drew from one another. Especially after their trip to Alola, they were like a whole different couple. Ha, I'll admit, it's hard for me to put it all into words what it was like seeing these two. I saw my best friend and rival go from someone so scared about her future to someone striding towards it because she had a light guiding her, and she helped to guide that light back in turn.

"At the time, I didn't consider it, but now that I'm older…that was love. Real love. Not the kind you see on television or read in the magazines, but one that would always give to one another, even if it took a small part in return. I remember Serena telling me one day that she dreamed of a world where people did both and shared all of their smiles with each other. But, you know…seeing Serena with Ash…she already did all of that for just one person. I'm…I'm really happy to see her married to him, and I know they'll be happy together. So, thank you Serena and Ash, for making me and everyone else here smile."

"Yeah!" Bonnie led the crowd in cheering and clapping. She seemed to go to stand up, as though she, too, was going to give a speech, but Lillie yanked her right back down at Clemont's insistent glare. Clearly the lemon blonde girl was not going to have her chance to say something. She did back up however and whisper harshly enough for some to hear, "Now you just have to make lots of babies. You know what that means!"

"Bonnie!" Meyer's voice boomed across the backyard to laughter. His daughter cowered, though, sticking a tongue out and looking sheepish. Then she scooted back in while Kalas took to the mic again.

"Well, after such heartfelt speeches, I think it's time for one of the most heartfelt moments between this couple to really open up the party! Who's ready for some dancing?"

"Chespin!" Chespin cried, running over to Sylveon and Bunnelby, snaking his vines out to join with the two of them. That was quickly curtailed by Vikavolt and Primarina calming them down, as if to inform who would  _really_  be dancing first.

Serena could feel Ash tense up, looking nervous at the prospect of dancing again, but Serena reassured him as he stood. He held his hand out, and she took it, rising to her feet. Bonnie scooted out again, looking sly and reaching into her dress to take Squishy out before throwing him right at Ash's leg. His knee buckled, and caused them to accidentally kiss. Serena rolled her eyes, but accepted it before the couple moved to the dance floor. Squishy returned to Bonnie.

The song began to play across the air of the backyard as Ash placed his hand on Serena's hip, taking her other hand with his own. They began to sway, and as planned, Serena recognized the song as the one they could have danced to at Monsieur Pierre's party back during their journey through Kalos, but had been interrupted. It seemed entirely fitting, and made Serena glad she had chosen it while the two began to whirl around.

"You're dancing very well, Mr. Ketchum," Serena said with a laugh. Ash scrunched his face up.

"That's because I'm trying really hard!...er… _Mrs._  Ketchum," he said in return. She leaned up, kissing him once more as the song began to taper down. That looked to be the cue for some others to move on to the dance floor, particularly her parents. Serena soon found herself dancing with her father, while Ash danced with her mother.

Others quickly moved on to the wide-open space, people and Pokémon alike. In particular, Pikachu took hold of Buneary, who snuggled against him, while Greninja and Braixen held an awkward dance. Talonflame and Unfezant likewise danced above with Staraptor and Swellow. Toucannon was dancing with Decidueye, and Serena had to not blink in order to catch the split second of Pancham dancing with Gourgeist and Lycanroc with Inkay (the latter looked particularly odd). Everyone was already joining in on the dance floor in different pairs that made the place positively packed and excited.

"Everyone's having a good time," Y spoke out, drawing Serena's attention to her father. "Your mother cried at the ceremony, and I have to admit, you made a dazzling bride. I think Ash thought so as well."

"Ah, thank you," Serena said. She stood up on her tiptoes to briefly offer her father a kiss on his cheek. It felt right; having him here, dancing with him here…she was glad she had found him.

"Any thoughts on the honeymoon? I don't think anyone's aware," he asked. Serena just winked at her father, getting a laugh in response while they spun away, changing their partners up, only for Serena to find herself in James' arms.

"Not a word, twerpette…" James muttered out. Serena was fine with that, thinking the male member of the Team Rocket trio actually looked quite handsome, all dressed up for the wedding. Jessie had somehow ended up in Ash's arms, her poor husband being tossed left and right by the maniacal dancer. James looked to take pity on the poor soul while Meowth and Wobbuffet danced on by. Beyond them were Maka and Keoni, looking rather combative in their courting dance, and the far more graceful Diantha and Steven. "Although…we did have a request…"

"Hm?" Serena questioned, but James didn't answer. He just looked over to Jessie, the woman seeming to mouth something along the lines of "after the cake". That was all that was discussed as there was another change in partners, with Serena ending up with Lionel.

"Couldn't miss a chance to dance with the bride now, could I?" the leader of ARC said to her. She took it in stride, curtseying a bit before they continued on. Around her, Serena caught Shauna dancing with Tierno as Dawn held an elegant dance with her friend Kenny. Lionel, however, instantly showed he was a much better dancer than her husband. From beyond the dance floor, Hau had dragged Lillie into a very awkward, but blushingly fun dance, while Bonnie and Max seemed to be playing a game of who could step on each other's toes the most. "Was it what the two of you imagined?"

"I'd like to think it was more," Serena told him, gracefully gliding along the floor without an issue. "Will you stop by for dinner sometime?"

"Hm, I'd like to, but it's all in the schedule. I'm sure the two of you would like some more alone time now that you're married, though," Lionel added with a wink. Serena blushed. She always figured that Lionel had been a bad influence on Bonnie, but now she knew just how. "Oh, relax! It's natural. Why, me and my wife-"

"I don't think I want to know, Lionel!" Serena argued. Lionel shrugged, indicating that it obviously didn't matter to him. He did offer her a kiss on the cheek, however, before their partners switched up once more. Ash was paired off with Misty, it seemed, while Serena ended up with Keoni. The young man seemed almost jaw locked, unable to say anything to her while they danced silently. It was really no surprise, given their history, but as the cycle of switching partners was coming to an end, and Keoni spun her once before letting go, he managed to say something.

"You made a good choice. I'm happy for you. Should have never tried to get in the way in the first place," Keoni admitted, chuckling and running his hand through his hair. Serena, seeing how embarrassed he looked, leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"So did you," she whispered, and the man looked to Maka, dancing quite freely with her Oricorio and Brock. That was all he needed before Ash returned to his wife's side. "Glad we could have such a fun party."

"So am I," Ash answered, sneaking in a quick kiss while others weren't watching. "I'm still super hungry, though…You sure we can't have cake now?"

"In a little bit, Ash!" she said, swatting at his chest. That made him laugh, and Serena turned back, away from the dance floor and over to where her bouquet sat, quickly grabbing it. Her eyes were drawn to the arrangement of flowers, and her wedding band, glittering in the light. It was still real. She was still married.

While she reflected on this, the party continued on, and the couple took a small rest from it all, only speaking with those who came by, such as Ash's mother when she went to get the cake. Other than that, and a few other well-wishes, they continued to listen to the music and watch some of the dances, like May and her Coordinator friend as well as Alain and Mairin's clumsy one (not to mention the general mosh pit created by the former Team Skull, with Guzma and Plumeria at the center). Some of them seemed to look like meetings rather than dancing, but Serena paid that no mind. It all went on for a while until, finally, Shauna clapped her hands and Kalas cried out.

"All right, folks, looks like we're getting a brief interlude in the dancing for the bouquet toss!" he called out excitedly. The couples on the dance floor all stopped moving, while some of the women seemed to scrabble for the front as the men, particularly Clemont and Alain, hung back as far as they possibly could. Bonnie, naturally, decided to push certain people forward in the vein of Korrina, Lillie and Mairin.

"Are we ready?" Serena asked with a gaily laugh. They all cried out and Serena turned around, looking right at her new husband. Then, with a heave, she tossed it over her shoulder.

"Now, Squishy, as planned!" Serena turned around to see just what Bonnie was talking about as the green blob transformed into a dog and leapt forward, clutching at the bouquet and distributing them equally to the three women that Bonnie desired. "Yeah! Weddings for everyone!"

"You're insufferable, you know that?" Max asked of the lemon blonde, but she just sent a teasing wink out at him. He would have retaliated, but the sound of loud oohing from the crowd cut him off. From Ash's squeezing of her arm, Serena knew it was the cake, and she turned to look at it, her own eyes alight with joy.

It was an absolute marvel, Miette and Delia giddily beaming at them as the cart trundled carefully along the grass. The bluenette sent a wink Serena's way as the cake drew closer. It was adorned beautifully with white roses in three layers, each one more beautiful than the last and wrapped in a white chiffon frosting. At the top were two Pikachu, clearly showing off Pop Star Pikachu and one that was like Ash's own.

"Whoa…mom, you guys really outdid yourselves! I bet it's delicious!" Ash said, pumping his fists into the air energetically. Delia grabbed two plates and winked at him, holding the plates out to them.

"Well, why don't the both of you find out?" Ash's mother suggested as they took the plates, and then the knife. Ash looked at Serena and shrugged, the two of them stepping closer and holding the knife above the cake. Serena reached out to take her husband's hand and together they sliced downward, making the first cut in the cake. There was a flash of the camera as they made another slice, creating the first piece from the delicious dessert.

"Just remember," Miette said slyly, now hanging off of Sawyer's arm while her Slurpuff practically toyed with his Sceptile, "you're supposed to feed  _each other_."

"Oh…we are?" Ash asked. Some people in the crowd facepalmed, but Serena just bit her lip. Ash clearly decided it was a non-issue, taking off a chunk of the cake and holding it out. She swallowed and opened her mouth, feeling more nervous than she had the entire time, until she felt it slide in, the frosting smearing against her lips. The crowd cheered and clapped again. "Your turn, right?"

"Yes," Serena said. From the corner of her eye, she could see Team Rocket inching closer to the cake, clearly looking to nab it all, judging by the cart they had secured in their hands, like Meowth and Wobbuffet would pop out at any time. Finally, she understood their favor…even if noticing it meant she missed Ash's mouth entirely and smeared it on his cheek before getting it inside. That made everyone there laugh and cheer…and then Team Rocket ran for the cake.

"Prepare for trouble the cake is cut!"

"And make it double, we'll get that, Pikachu and you'll deal with us!"

"Chuuuuuu!" Before Team Rocket could even make another sound, they turned at Pikachu's cry, looking positively giddy to see Pikachu's Thunderbolt aiming right for them. Jessie snapped forward, with Inkay going right for the cake and taking a couple pieces for the trio.

"All right, twerpette, this is our wedding gift!" Jessie yelled, right before the bolt hit them. James scrambled forward to grab the dessert with a grin.

"Well, that and the set of baking supplies Jessie picked-oof!" Jessie had elbowed James, and then the attack hit, sending all of their little party flying into the air, as though there was no other way to send them out of the party with style. Buneary seemed even more enamored with Pikachu. The group of Team Rocket flew through the air and disappeared into the night sky.

"Well, I'm sure we'll see them again," Ash laughed out, now officially cutting the cake to give the couple actual pieces. Once he had, his mother took over again, offering her son a kiss on the (frosting-less) cheek as she did so, passing out the pieces to each and every person in the final stages of the party. Ash and Serena, considering what they had left to do, chose to return to their seats to enjoy their cake in relative peace. When they were halfway through, Ash spoke up. "I like this. Being married to you."

"So do I," Serena agreed. They raised their left hands up, matching their rings against each other and clasping them in fists. "I love you, Ash Ketchum. Always will."

"And I love you, too, Serena Ketchum. Until the end," he said. They leaned forward, foreheads resting against one another while everyone was still distracted by the cake. Serena looked upward, kissing her husband once more without all the watching eyes, tasting the cake on his lips. "What do you think about getting out of here? We've already done everything, and Pikachu can handle crowd control."

"You mean like our honeymoon?" Serena asked with a wink in her husband's direction. He didn't give a reaction, but that said it all. Serena's hand slid down, taking his hand in hers and they stood. Up above, Latias appeared to see them, slowly descending for Ash to help Serena get on without anything happening to her dress. Once they had, the honey blonde looked back with the party still in full swing. A few, like their parents and Brock, noticed them going, but not many others, and none of them said anything. Only Bonnie asked about it as they slowly moved away.

"Wait, wasn't Ash supposed to do some sort of garter toss? That would've been interesting…" Bonnie said and Serena was sure the girl was wiggling her eyes.

" _You're_  probably the reason he didn't," Clemont insisted to his sister, but then they both faded out of earshot. Latias took off then, giving them the brief chance to grab the clothes needed for their trip before flying off towards the distance and the destination of their honeymoon in Floaroma Town. They only stopped once they were there, arriving to a small cottage on the outskirts of the town, the air a little colder.

Latias flew off into the sky after they'd landed, as Ash clearly remembered what to do, picking Serena up and carrying her into the cabin. She was glad it was far removed enough from the actual town for no one to know they were there; no one but the flowers that whispered softly as the perfect place for a quiet honeymoon. Upon entering, they quickly made their way to the room and collapsed with exhaustion upon the bed.

The married couple just laid there awhile, hands clasped in one another as the sun rose through the window, and they stared at it before smiling at each other. Serena had always heard the saying that it was the first day of the rest of their lives, and now she truly believed it, lying right next to the man she loved with all her heart and soul. She rolled on to her side, her dress ruffling a little. They held each other's gazes for what felt like the millionth time that night, until she finally kissed him once more, his hand sliding up the bottom of her dress, feeling for the garter that had been there the whole time.

"I'd rather do it in private anyway," he said. She kissed him again.

"I couldn't agree more," she whispered back, leaning into her husband. It had been a day to remember forever, and she couldn't think of anyone else in that moment but Ash, her husband.

And the two that had become one joined together, as the sun rose over their new lives with one another, the same thought in both of their heads.  _It's the first day of forever with you, and I wouldn't have it any other way._

_Fín_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And so, the wedding fic is complete! Whew! This one was actually really hard for me to work on, no lie. I mean, I didn't follow things through to the letter probably, but I tried to create the atmosphere of the wedding. Hopefully I was able to do just that. Sappy? Probably. But I would think even the manliest of men, and especially someone like Ash, would become a little sappy at their own wedding. Hopefully it was humorous as well; Bonnie is a handful. As for the honeymoon location, I want to thank Captain Luky Greace; it really worked. Maybe nothing special, but considering the flower motif I've used, it fit very well in my mind.
> 
> Now, all of that said, no, this fic doesn't contain really any heavy hints for Tomorrow. No, I am not writing a lemon despite the requests I've had. However, what will be happening is next week, when the prologue to Love in the Time of Tomorrow begins, and that is where we begin the final buildup process to the end of the Ancienverse. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.
> 
> I hope this wedding fic was enjoyable to you and, in some way, takes its place as a big wedding fic for the Amour community. But beyond that, please Review and, now and forever,
> 
> Dare to Be Silly,
> 
> Epicocity


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